Google Glass (2013-2015)
Google sold early prototypes of an always-on camera headset to developers and 'explorers.' Bystanders worried about being recorded without consent, and the device drew bans from bars, casinos, and gyms.
Google pulled consumer Glass in 2015 after the privacy backlash and lack of mainstream adoption.
The episode established that wearable recording devices need visible consent cues, a lesson now facing Meta's audio-only glasses.
Meta's camera-free Audio glasses avoid the camera problem but still record audio with no clear signal to bystanders, reviving the same consent question.
