Google Glass banned by UK cinemas amidst piracy fears
UK cinema chains have given short shrift to Google’s trailblazing eyewear technology, by banning the gadget a mere six days after its launch.
Citing piracy concerns the Cinema Exhibitors Association and Vue declared an outright ban on the devices, following similar moves across the pond.
Glass proponents believe the move is a gross over-reaction given that the headset can record a maximum of 45 min of footage whilst a tell-tale light illuminates whn doing so – a dead giveaway for any watching stewards scanning the aisles for any furtive recording attempts.
In a statement Google said: “We recommend any cinemas concerned about Glass to treat the device as they treat similar devices like mobile phones: simply ask wearers to turn it off before the film starts. Broadly speaking, we also think it’s best to have direct and first-hand experience with Glass before creating policies around it. The fact that Glass is worn above the eyes and the screen lights up whenever it’s activated makes it a fairly lousy device for recording things secretly.”
Google Glass wearing cinema-goers will be requested to remove the device whether a film is playing or not.