Homeland Security ‘protects us’ from man at movies wearing Google Glass
An Ohio man went to see Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit at his local AMC theater and was soon met by Homeland Security.
There was no bomb scare, gun pulled or even threats made. No, in fact, the man did nothing. It was the theater manager who contacted teh MPAA, who in turned called Homeland Security because the man was wearing Google Glass.
Google Glass photo Tech News Flickr
Writing anonymously on The Gadgeteer blog, the man explained that halfway into the screening when he was hauled out by police and officers from homeland security’s ICE unit, which monitors piracy.
“A guy comes near my seat, shoves a badge that had some sort of a shield on it, yanks the Google Glass off my face and says ‘Follow me outside immediately’,” said the man, who was taken into a room for interrogation.
His Glass had been switched off during the movie, and he was wearing it for its prescription lenses.
“After a long time somebody came with a laptop and an USB cable at which point he told me it was my last chance to come clean. I repeated for the hundredth time there is nothing to come clean about and this is a big misunderstanding so the [ICE officer] finally connected my Glass to the computer, downloaded all my personal photos and started going though them one by one … Then they went through my phone, and five minutes later they concluded I had done nothing wrong.”
He wasn’t apologized to, but was offered four free movie passes, which “infuriated” him.
Google Glass has raised privacy concerns in many countries. It now appears that it is being monitored as a potential aid to copyright infringement.
The man treated rudely, deemed a criminal first and then searched by the group who’s purpose is to protect Americans from terrorists.
In a statement, the MPAA called Google Glass “an incredible innovation in the mobile sphere” and said it has “seen no proof that it is currently a significant threat that could result in content theft.
“The MPAA works closely with theaters all over the country to curb camcording and theater-originated piracy, and in this particular case, no such activity was discovered,” the statement continued.
The Department of Homeland Security also issued a statement on the incident:
“On Jan. 18, special agents with ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and local authorities briefly interviewed a man suspected of using an electronic recording device to record a film at an AMC theater in Columbus. The man, who voluntarily answered questions, confirmed to authorities that the suspected recording device was also a pair of prescription eye glasses in which the recording function had been inactive. No further action was taken. ”
Maybe ICE dealt with illegal immigrants and Homeland Security would stop Boston bombers, then America would be a better place.
Moreover, if they had watched the Jack Ryan film, then they would no that no one would bother trying to pirate the flick.
