Congress Demands to Know if Google Glass Will Violate Your Privacy
Google co-founder Sergey Brin dons a pair of Google Glasses Seth Wenig/AP
Letter sent to search giant asks about implications of new technology.
Google has just under a month to respond to a congressional letter questioning CEO Larry Page about the privacy implications of Google Glass. The letter, filed Thursday by the bipartisan privacy caucus, lays out eight questions for Schmidt. They range from the atmospheric ( Does Google plan to update its privacy policy for Glass? ) to the feature-specific ( How exactly will Glass' face-recognition technology gather information? ).
"We are curious whether this new technology could infringe on the privacy of the average American," wrote caucus chairman Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, and his seven colleagues.
A Google spokesperson wrote in by email: "We are thinking very carefully about how we design Glass because new technology always raises new issues. Our Glass Explorer program, which reaches people from all walks of life, will ensure that our users become active participants in shaping the future of this technology."
The company has until June 14 to provide a fuller response. While a more cordial exchange than the grilling Eric Schmidt received in 2011—a hearing on antitrust in which Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, accused the company of having "cooked it so that you're always third" in search results—the letter is a reminder that Congress is watching Glass with interest, just like the rest of us.
Read the full letter here: