Privacy Taken by Life-Logging Cameras

One of the founders of Memoto, Martin Kaellstroem, lost both of his parents to cancer when he was a young adult.  When this happened, he was inspired to create a camera that would spontaneously capture the user’s life as it is being lived.  This small “life-logging camera” is worn either clipped to your shirt collar, or around your neck on a string.  Every 30 seconds, a picture is taken and there is no off button.  Essentially, it captures every ½ minute of a person’s life

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Now in his late 30s, Mr. Kaellstroem has said, “When you lose your parents, you realize that you don’t live forever.  It definitely affected me in my entrepreneurship.  I can’t wait until later to fulfill my dreams; I have to live my dream now.” He states that normally, people bring their cameras to special events to capture those around them at their best.  He stated, “You don’t know in advance which moments will be important in the future.  Perhaps you meet your future wife or witness an accident or a crime.  These are pictures you might want to return to.”  But, will everyone accept that they will be filmed whenever they are with a user of a life-logging camera?

This brings “Big Brother” and “The Truman Show” to life.  Mr. Kaellstroem doesn’t see his camera as a breach to anyone’s privacy; he sees it as a collection of memories.  Personally, I don’t see it that way.  I would not want to meet friends for lunch knowing that one of them is using a life-logging camera.  I’m a fairly private person and I wouldn’t like knowing that someone has pictures of every 30 seconds of me as I sat down with them for lunch or dinner.  It’s not that I have something to hide; it’s just that I don’t like having my picture taken.  To know that a picture would be taken every 30 seconds would not make me happy at all.

This life-logging camera looks like an iPod mini and gathers pictures automatically.  They are sorted by GPS location, time and lighting.  Anyone using this camera can share the pictures on Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media.  Oskar Kalmaru, who is co-founder of Memoto, likens the camera to a diary for those who are tech-savvy and who don’t have the patience or discipline it takes to keep a written diary.  He says, “I’ve failed several times when trying to write a blog or travelogue.  Older relatives managed to keep a diary over 20 years, but it’s hard with the routine.”

Mr. Kaellstroem tells us that “There are two main types of users” of these cameras:  one type of user wants to save and organize their memories and will only share them with a small group of close friends and family.  The second type of user is the one who wants to share these memories with the world through social media.

I don’t understand how this isn’t a privacy breach.  How can a camera that doesn’t turn off NOT breach someone else’s privacy?  If the person you are with, or a person walking by you on the street is using a life-logging camera, whether you like it or not, you are being immortalized in photos that can be shared with anyone.  Imagine your worst moments being captured and shared with the world.  What about your private moments?  Not everyone needs to make every life event, whether good or bad, a public display.  Some people may not find it offensive to be logged like this, but I would think twice about ever seeing a friend who would use this device.  I’d probably stick to phone conversations.  But then, can I trust that my friend wouldn’t be recording those conversations?

Some may feel that these life-logging cameras are no different than Google Glass, but there is a big difference:  Google Glass can be turned off.  Also, a person can actually see that a person is wearing Google Glass, but some may mistake the life-logging camera for an MP3 player.  What is to prevent the user from not disclosing the true purpose of the device he or she is wearing?  Maybe that sounds paranoid, but, it really is a possibility.  Those at Memoto suggest that the user be upfront about wearing the camera and the camera’s purpose before meeting with someone, but knowing that not all people would welcome this invasion of privacy, can we be sure that the true purpose will be shared?

It’s easy to avoid the invasion of privacy of the life-logging cameras; you don’t meet with someone using one.  Invasion of privacy on the Internet is a different story.  You never know who could be watching you.  Privacy Partners can help make your Internet surfing more private by hiding your IP address and by encrypting every connection you make.  Try the FREE trial today and start surfing the Net anonymously.