The new Snapchat Spectacles might look like a toy, but connected sunglasses may carry hidden security implications.
Snap Inc. — the company behind the disappearing message app Snapchat — unveiled its newest product, Spectacles, on Thursday. The sunglasses-turned-video-camera lets you capture quick 10-second scenes that immediately get sent to your Snapchat account on your phone (making them public is another step).
With bold, bright colors and blinking lights to indicate recording, the device feels more like a toy than a serious piece of technology, which only adds to the appeal for its user base. Now, users of the app can attach internet-enabled cameras to their faces that capture everything in their field of vision.
The problem? The product could make it much easier to record personal information and invade another person's privacy without them even realizing it.
Spectacles are as risky as any other new technology, though, including the sunglasses' parent app, Snapchat, Monahan said. Even if you are just using your phone's camera to record your surroundings, the videos are still connected to your account and identity.
Snap declined to comment to Mashable for this article, but directed users to its community guidelines page.
The privacy page on its site, which includes a section devoted to the new glasses, states that many of the same guidelines for using the Snapchat app on your phone apply for Spectacles.
"Our Community Guidelines have always said to be thoughtful and respect people’s privacy, and these ideals apply equally when you’re using Spectacles," the privacy page reads. "Please be respectful and considerate of others."
One thing is certain, Spectacle users don't want to earn a lovely moniker like Google Glass users had to deal with: So think twice about what you film and don't be a Spectacle-hole.
Crdt:www.mashable.com
