Google Glass Shuts Down--Due to Hysteria?
Google Glass is shut down, and Morrison & Foerster partner John Delaney writes that public anti-Glass hysteria could be a main cause. John, a past tech transactions practice co-chair and founder of the firm's social media law blog--as well as creator of an infographic that went viral--knows the value of press and word-of-mouth.
Glass had privacy concerns, but similar ones existed with older technologies that flourished, John points out, including the mobile phone, Internet and even Kodak camera. He says there's been a "relentless stream of negative publicity" about Glass: articles (just try a quick Google search), studies (for instance, here and here), and government actions (eg, a congressional inquiry on privacy matters, state legislatures considering making it illegal to wear Glass while driving). Was it all over the top? John will say one thing: "It's remarkable that, even in these bitterly partisan times, Glass fears could unite Democrats and Republicans."
