Google Lobbyists Rally as States Consider Restrictions on 'Glass' Google has deployed lobbyists to argue restrictions on wearing Glass while driving proposed by officials in Illinois, Delaware and Missouri.
By Geoff Weiss
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
As Google Glass nears wider implementation, wearers of the futuristic device are coming under siege.
A San Francisco tech writer, for instance, was robbed and assaulted in a local bar by patrons who feared they were being recorded. (She later retrieved video from her Glass of the man that had snatched them from her face.)
And so ahead of its planned launch later this year, Google is seeking to cope with a particularly influential group of Glass opponents: government officials. The company is reportedly lobbying legislators in at least three states that have proposed restrictions on wearing Google Glass while driving.
"Technology issues are a big part of the current policy discussion in individual states and we think it is important to be part of those discussions," a Google spokesperson told BIZ Experiences.com.
Related: Google Issues Some Pretty Darn Hilarious Glass Do's and Don't's
"While Glass is currently in the hands of a small group of Explorers, we find that when people try it for themselves they better understand the underlying principle that it's not meant to distract but rather connect people more with the world around them."
Reuters reports that eight states are considering such regulations, and Google has thus far sent lobbyists to argue the measure with reps from Illinois, Delaware and Missouri. Officials from New York, Maryland and West Virginia were not contacted by Google, while legislators in New Jersey and Wyoming did not comment.
Officials told Reuters that Google's key point throughout the discussions was that "regulation would be premature because Google Glass is not yet widely available." So far, no restrictions have passed.
Related: Virgin Atlantic Is Using Google Glass to Greet Customers
