A moviegoer who wears prescription lenses in his Google Glass was recently watching “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” when he learned the hard way about police interrogation.
The local AMC movietheater he was attending called the MPAA, who then got the Department of Homeland Security involved to interrogate a young man who was out on a date with his wife last Saturday.
There have been varying reports of what occurred. But, the Department of Homeland Security released the following statement:
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.
According to the Google Glass user, he explained that they were prescription glasses that he was using to see and not record the movie with. After explaining to the DHS that he has not recorded any video, they attempted to question hiim further. It was not until the searched his Google Glass equipment did investigators were able to see for themselves that there were no illegal recordings on there.
AMC released the following statement:
While we’re huge fans of technology and innovation, wearing a device that has the capability to record video is not appropriate at the movie theatre [sic]. At AMC Easton 30 last weekend, a guest was questioned for possible movie theft after he was identified wearing a recording device during a film. The presence of this recording device prompted an investigation by the MPAA, which was on site. The MPAA then contacted Homeland Security, which oversees movie theft. The investigation determined the guest was not recording content.
It seems to beg the question, is Google Glass safe? Will the police and movie theaters allow for such technology to be used in the movie theaters? Or will it become just as commonplace to see movie theraters display a notice that all google glass should be removed similar to all cell phones should be turned off?
Overall, the individual was given four free movie passes for his trouble. But, there is no word if he will be returning to see any more movies with his wife.
photo credit: Thomas Hawk via photopin cc
