All this carry-on about smart glasses videoing someone being a breach of privacy makes me chuckle.
Why? Because it is mainly about the device and not the action it seems.
Some years back when I was still living on the Gold Coast, I wanted to test a drone’s video capabilities. It was an original “Parrot”, quite before DJI blasted onto the scene here with the Mini 1.
My target was the local skate park; I figured getting some footage from above of the kids doing some skateboardy tricks would be pretty cool.
At the park, I fired up the drone, sent it up and within seconds some protective Mum was bearing down on my yelling out I was a pervert, scum, paedophile and every other nasty thing she could think of. I attempted to explain but she was having none of it, so retreat was the order of the day.
Just to reassure myself, I went to the local police station and asked if I’d broken any law. The answer was quite simply, no. The act of filming in a public place is not an offence. What you might *do* with the footage could well be.
(This was in Queensland as mentioned and I have not tested that question in any other state, but as far as I am aware, it applies equally in all, but check to make sure if you might be putting yourself in an awkward position).
What was humorous though, and the point I am trying to make, is at the same time as I was attempting to shoot video from a drone, other people at the park – adults, teenagers and kids – were all snapping photos and taking footage from their smartphones. Aforementioned woman didn’t have an issue with that it seems.
New technology terrifies people – until they want to use it of course.
It’s akin to people complaining about privacy but happily sharing information on social media, allowing data to be harvested from credit and loyalty cards, or even be photographed and video’d every second of their working life or simply by walking through a shopping centre.
Mind you, after all that, I can see no reason to have a videocamera in yer sunnies. Be like having a fur lined bath. Pretty damn pointless if you ask me.
(If you want to really be scared, watch a TV series on ABC iView called “The Capture”.)
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.