Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), cochair of the Congressional
Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, along with other members of that caucus, has sent a
letter to Google expressing concerns with the privacy implications of
Google Glass, the "wearable computer" glasses.
They pointed to Google's own promotion of the device as able to "take
pictures, record and share what you see hands free, obtain directions, send
messages and basically ask whatever is on your mind right before your
eyes."
They said that given that Google Glass has not yet been released, and they are
unclear about the associated privacy protections, they want some answers to a
number of questions. One is how Google will keep Google Glass from
inadvertently collecting information about users, or non-users, without
consent.
Google has had to settle claims that it
collected info from Wi-Fi Nets without permission -- Google has said the
collection was inadvertent.
Other questions include what "proactive steps" Google is taking to
protect privacy, whether it will be able to use facial recognition to
"unveil" personal info, whether the new technology will need to
result in any changes to current privacy policies and more.
The caucus wants answers by June 14.
Other caucus members signing on to the letter were Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.),
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), Rep. Henry C. "Hank" Johnson Jr. (D-Ga.),
Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Rep. Richard Nugent (R-Fla.), Rep. Bobby Rush
(D-Ill.) and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.).
