Though Google has banned facial recognition from Google Glass, one company is throwing that to the wind and is doing their own, anyway—and it’s specializing in sex offenders.
NameTag, the Nevada-based company, has developed a Glass app that can recognize up to 450,000 sex offenders, and pulls its data from FacialNetwork.com. “I believe that this will make online dating and offline social interactions much safer and give us a far better understanding of the people around us,” said NameTag’s founder Kevin Tussy. “It’s much easier to meet interesting new people when we can simply look at someone, see their Facebook, review their LinkedIn page or maybe even see their dating site profile.” Full Article
This thing will recognize sex offenders but, apparently, not people convicted of violence. Which is worse—–sex by mutual consent, or violence?
This brings up memories of my student days at Berkeley, when we had various sex liberation groups. A common question was: is your sex orgasm approved by the government? I can only hope that the new technology will help us to screen out the possibility of having a non-government approved orgasm. ====at this stage of life I don’t need any more problems, so if such a thing approaches me, I will run like hell.
This has creeped me out since I first heard of Glass and hopefully it will go the way of Google+. People wearing Glass will get the stink eye from me, especially if I am with my kids as I’ll have a legit excuse to suspect them of taking inappropriate pictures. You throw that at someone in public “Are you taking pictures of my kids!?” and they’ll be instantaneously on the defensive and think twice about wearing those things whilst out and about. The trick, of course, is doing it w/out causing distress to my kids, or having the tables turned when several glass wearers ID me as the RSO. I always envision that scene from Invasion of the Body Snatchers when Donald Sutherland makes that hideous scream to let all the other aliens know that his former friend is still a human being.
How does that money grubbing douche bag, Kevin Tussy of Name Tag (index that Google), indemnify his company against law suits when harm comes to people as a result of his stalker-ware? Hopefully the government will step in before this really becomes a problem, or someone else will make him an offer he can’t refuse.
Finally, has anyone taken a look at facialnetwork.com’s web site? “this is just the beginning” is their tag line. Talk about ominous and Orwellian. Who needs crowd-funding when Satan himself provides 100% if the venture capital?
Just saw one comment that epitomizes the danger. It was written by a nice person who goes by the name of “RSO Hunter.” Gee.
“Google Glass +
Sex Offender Realtime Facial Recognition +
The Knockout Game =
KARMA!”
So basically the vigilante is condoning unprovoked, undefendable assaults. Geez.
Always wear a hat low over your shades, sport a big, wooley beard, turn your collar up, maybe wear a Luchador mask in public, constantly change your appearance, wear long wigs and fake boobs…
or, just leave this effing country. So out of control; everyone should be afraid, not just RSO’s.
What we’ve allowed this government in moderation, they’ve taken to excess. It’s not going to stop.
The very premise of these recognition programs is false. You are overwhelmingly more likely to be harmed, sexually or otherwise, by someone you already know. They’re going to profit on the stranger danger myth. Again we are treated like commodities, not human beings, this time to sell product. Corrupt.
Which brings me to another thought. We should sue them for royalties for using our status, and get a share of the profits.