Google Glass could increase rates of mugging and the hacking of private data say UK consumers
More than half of UK consumers have safety concerns about wearing Google Glass, a survey by Toluna has revealed.
Nearly half (46 per cent) of the 1,000 UK participants surveyed felt they would be more vulnerable to a mugging attack if they wore Google Glass in public – the highest proportion of any country in the study to have this concern (34 per cent in the US, and 38 per cent in Australia and Singapore).
The research indicates that many consumers have fears that the device – which is not yet available on the open market – could have a negative impact on their safety and privacy.
“Revolutionary advances in technology introduce many benefits and opportunities for consumers, but they also bring about concerns. Our goal was to explore exactly how UK consumers feel about the implications of wearable tech, such as Google Glass,” said Paul Twite, UK managing director at Toluna.
On top of worries about muggings, 50 per cent of UK participants thought that road users wearing Google Glass might be distracted, putting themselves and others at greater risk of harm, while 49 per cent had similar concerns about pedestrians' attention being compromised whilst crossing the road.
The protection of information was also a major concern among UK consumers, as 69 per cent had fears relating to privacy, with 35 per cent believing in the potential for hackers to access their private data via the device. Just over a third (34 per cent) were concerned that others could record their actions without their knowledge (compared to 38 per cent in the US, and 48 per cent in Australia and Singapore).
The various issues contributed to 60 per cent of the UK consumers interviewed claiming that they would not be comfortable wearing Google Glass all the time.