Skip to main content

Google Glass could have saved Trayvon Martin (and George Zimmerman)

Google Glass could have saved Trayvon Martin headerNo matter where you stand on the acquittal of 29-year-old Florida man George Zimmerman, who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin early last year, we can all agree that everyone would be better off had the tragic ordeal never happened. The Martin family has suffered unspeakable hardship. Zimmerman and his family have as well, if of a different kind. And now, our polarized nation has divided further over the ‘not guilty’ verdict. It’s a sad mess through and through.

When I read the news of Zimmerman’s acquittal, after choking down a lump of disgust, a thought popped in my mind: The pointless, deadly Martin-Zimmerman encounter could have been avoided entirely if either party were wearing Google Glass on that fatal February day.

Recommended Videos

The primary narrative surrounding Google Glass, which packs a video camera and microphone, is that the device could wreak havoc on personal privacy, and increase the likelihood that what we do and say out in public and private could haunt us forever. These concerns are valid, but cram the concept of privacy into too small a box.

What has not been considered nearly loudly enough is how valuable a tool Glass would be for self-protection – in the moments when quick-fire video recording might prevent a crime, save your life, or at the very least act as a valuable eye witness.

Instead of a dead boy and a man whose life is forever marred by the life he took, we would have an intense YouTube video and nothing more.

Imagine for a moment that either Zimmerman or Martin had worn Google Glass when the two met. If one of them said, “Ok, Glass, record a video” at the start, the jury would have had irrefutable evidence of what happened – the key piece missing from the Zimmerman trial. As it stood in the courtroom, the only person who knows what truly happened between Zimmerman and Martin is the man who pulled the trigger. A single pair of Google Glass would have changed that fateful dynamic, and made clear Zimmerman’s decision to shoot Martin. The verdict – had Zimmerman gone to trial at all – would not be tainted with impassioned contention, as it is today.

More importantly, the inclusion of Glass in the Zimmerman-Martin confrontation may have prevented any violence at all. Assuming the prosecution’s version of the encounter is true – and that is an assumption – had Martin worn Glass and warned Zimmerman that he was being recorded, one can imagine how that could have caused Zimmerman to turn around rather than stand his ground. Instead of a dead boy and a man whose life is forever marred by the life he took, we would have an intense YouTube video and nothing more.

Because of Glass’ vast potential, we may see developers create Glass apps specifically for the purpose of self-protection. Apps, like Ustream or LiveCast, that allow users to automatically stream video to the Web could be custom tailored for someone under attack. Push notification functionality could send alerts to other users (including law enforcement) when a potential victim activates the app, helping to ensure that someone is watching your Internet-connected back. Glass could combine with fitness monitor technology to start recording the moment your heart rate jumps. Or, at the very least, it could call 911 with a quick voice command, alerting authorities to your whereabouts and predicament.

With tools like these enabled, one can imagine a day when this type of easy-recording, wearable technology becomes just as prevalent as dash cams are for Russian motorists. 

Google Glass could have saved Trayvon MartinWe have already seen smartphones used for similar purposes – they’re just a bit clunky for these next-gen purposes. YouTube is filled with videos of fights, robberies, and other potential crimes in action. And citizen journalists, like Tim Pool, have used streaming apps to give Web users a live, first-hand view of Occupy Wall Street protests and subsequent police action against activists. Once Glass launches to the public next year, we will have all the pieces for seamless self-defense recording technology; somebody just needs to combine them in a smart way that works when and how we need it to work. (Any takers?)

The obvious downside here is that using Glass for self-defense, were it to become widespread, would turn society into even more of a surveillance state than it already is: A legion of shutter-happy Little Brothers. Random interactions with strangers could turn from passing encounters into police investigations. And lawsuits – good god, would there be lawsuits. We would have, in other words, precisely the type of nightmare anti-privacy scenario that so many fear – not because of random voyeurs attempting to catch people unaware (though we’d have to worry about them too) but because of righteous safety-freaks recording every interaction just in case.

But who knows? Glass may never catch on. It may lack the basic functionality (like not falling off your face the moment you start to run or scuffle) to make it a viable self-defense solution. Wearing Glass might even make you more of a target for thieving criminals, who could just snatch them off your face. But the frustrating ambiguity inherent in the Zimmerman case – ambiguity that could have been erased with a quick, simple, and hands-free video camera – makes it clear that justice has a weakness. And Google Glass might be the thing to fix it, for better or worse.

(Images © The New York Times and ABCnews.com. All Rights Reserved.)

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
Best Google Pixel 8 Pro deals: Save $1,000 on the best Pixel phone
The Google Photos app running on a Google Pixel 8 Pro.

For the best phone deals relating to the Google Pixel 8 Pro, keep reading. Appreciating what a highly sought-after phone it continues to be, we’ve tracked down all the best Google Pixel 8 Pro deals currently available. Scroll down and you’ll find all the best prices along with everything you could want to know about the Google Pixel 8 Pro in case you still haven’t fully committed to buying one.
Today's best Google Pixel 8 Pro deals
The best Google Pixel 8 Pro deals are fairly varied. That means you can buy it unlocked at a great discount, but you can also trade in your old phone and acquire the Google Pixel 8 Pro at a super low price when you commit to a cell phone provider. Whatever feels like the best idea for you, take a look below at the highlights.

: Get the Google Pixel 8 Pro for $200 off and pay $799 instead of $999.
: Trade in a phone for up to $325 off or pay $799 instead of $999 for the phone.
: Get $1,040 trade-in credit over 36 months depending on the phone you trade in.
: Get up to $1,000 of trade-in credit when you trade in a select phone.
: Get up to $800 off via phone trade-in paid across 24 monthly bill credits.
: Get up to $250 off with a phone trade-in.
: Save $100 when you trade in your phone at the same time.

Read more
Does the Google Pixel 8 have wireless charging?
A person holding the Google Pixel 8, showing the back of the phone.

Wireless charging has gained immense popularity recently due to its convenient and cable-free approach to charging electronic devices. As technology advances, many smartphone users wonder whether their devices, such as the Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro, support wireless charging.

The answer to this question is not surprising.
Does the Pixel 8 have wireless charging?

Read more
How to save your data from Google’s purge of inactive accounts
The Google "G" logo on an Android phone.

Google is about to begin deleting inactive Google accounts, which could mean you’re about to lose photos, documents, and other data that you actually want to keep.

The good news is that there’s a way you can safely hold onto everything, but you’ll need to take action this week to be sure.

Read more