10 Places That Have Either Banned Google Glass Or Will Ban It Soon

I’ll admit that when I first heard about Glass, I wasn’t overly thrilled. I couldn’t understand how I would ever use it. But now that several of my social media friends have been experimenting with it for months now, I see why people would want to check it out. It’s like they add a new dimension or shade of color to our existing lives. Not everyone is excited about it though. These are the top 10 places that have either banned Google Glass, or they will most likely ban it soon.

I can understand the privacy concerns. The last thing we want to do is carve out time in our lives to start worrying about people randomly recording us or taking pictures of us at anytime without our consent. There are even some people who are taking measures to prevent this from happening. Recently I wrote about the Anti-Google Glass Privacy Glasses, which are designed to keep your privacy intact if you should encounter someone wearing Glass.

According to Search Engine Journal (SEG), these are the top 10 places that have already banned Google Glass (or will most likely ban it soon). This is a very general list, but if you click over to SEG’s website, you can read more about the examples in each of these categories.

1. Bars

The ‘5 Point Cafe’ in Seattle was the first bar that banned Google Glass, and they made headlines around the world for their decision.

2. Casinos

Several casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City have banned Google Glass because it would apparently make it easier for cheaters to beat the odds.

3. Strip Clubs

The Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club in Las Vegas, among others, have already made it clear that they do not allow Glass in their establishment.

4. Classrooms

Several elementary schools and colleges have already banned Google Glass. This is a controversial one since Glass could help University students learn more by allowing them to record the lectures, take better notes, etc.

5. Hospitals

Glass will most likely be banned from most hospitals once it is released to the public. A hospital is full of private paperwork and medical data, so this one makes complete sense.

6. Cars

Duh! Of course ‘Glassing and driving’ would be dangerous. Measures have already been taken to ban Glass while driving in the UK. Lawmakers in states like West Virginia and Arizona are also in the process right now of banning Glass while driving. They call it banning people from “using a wearable computer with head mounted display.”

7. Movie Theaters

This one is another obvious one. However, less and less people are visiting movie theaters since they prefer to watch their movies on demand instead. As technology becomes more prevalent in our lives, the movie theaters that were so popular back in the ’80s and ’90s are dying. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

8. Locker Rooms/Dressing Rooms

My guess is that most gyms and stores will ban Google Glass from entering these private dressing areas. It only makes sense.

9. Sports Arenas/Concert Venues

Every time I go to a sporting event or concert, people everywhere are holding up their smartphones snapping pics and recording. I don’t know how they would stop people with Glass from doing the same thing, but apparently this is on the way.

10. Banks/ATMs

As if identity theft wasn’t already a major concern, imagine going to the ATM only to have the person standing in line behind you snap your PIN code or debit card information. Not good.

Like I said above, you can click over to SEG to get more information on these places that have banned Google Glass. It’s hard to believe that there are only 2,000 pairs of Glass running a muck in the world right now. If there are places in each one of these 10 sectors that have already banned Google Glass, just think of all the others that will come in the future.

As much as I’m concerned about privacy as it relates to all this, I also think it’s important to realize that Glass could potentially change the way we communicate with each other. It’s important not to get carried away talking about the negative aspects of it all. Who knows…maybe between now and when Glass is actually released, the core functions will be tweaked and changed so some sort of privacy is built into the device itself. I doubt it, but until it’s released, we can’t be sure.

What other places have already banned Google Glass?

Via: [Book of Joe] [Fast Company] Header Image Credit: [ZDNet]