Google Forbids Advertising On Glass 274
An anonymous reader writes "Contrary to widespread thought, Google Glass will not be an advertising platform: 'Google Inc has lately told app developers that they are not allowed to present ads to Google Glass users and they are also not permitted to sell users' personal and private information for the fulfillment of advertising needs. The internet company has explicitly and openly said that the Glass platform should and must be clean and clear of any ads whatsoever, because the technology is designed to facilitate internet browsing and other related activities, therefore, the featured podium cannot be used to advertise products as it will cause the user experience to diminish.' Seems like Google is going for hardware-only revenue on this one." You're not supposed to resell the Glass hardware, either.
Just means they will make their money another way (Score:5, Insightful)
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They'll make their revenue with Google Play and Chrome Web Store store revenue, since Glass has functions that require pairing with an Android device, and Glass apps are basically (by device features) limited to being auxiliary interfaces to web services for which the primary interface will almost certainly be either a traditional web or mobile app.
Re:Just means they will make their money another w (Score:5, Insightful)
It's important to note that only third-party developers are prohibited from placing ads; Google isn't bound by the same rules. My tinfoil-hat conspiracy theory says they want to get people used to Glass first, and then start slowly implementing ads until they feel commonplace and accepted. If Glass is plastered with ads from the beginning, no one will use it, and Google knows this.
That said, it would be great if it never has ads. I would be willing to pay more (were I in the market for Glass) for no ads on a device such as this.
Re:Just means they will make their money another w (Score:4, Interesting)
It's not about active ads. I'm sure they'll get revenue for passive advertising. You're wearing glass, you search for a restaurant, you get a list of local restaurants with directions... I can see pretty easy ways to embed ads into that whole process, and display USEFUL ads.
Most folks don't have problems with advertising that helps them find what they're looking for.
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Reminds me of watching commercial- and float-free youtube before google's acquisition.
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Rumor has it that they want to sell the consumer version at 750 bucks. If they sell enough of them then they won't be selling at a loss, I guess. If they somewhat make that price point I will get one. After I have sorted out how to deal with my prescription glasses, that is.
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First, I think you lost track of context, and are confused about "they" -- GP was about how Google would make revenue, and Google most certainly can sell apps through the Chrome Web Store and the Google Play store, and make money from them in exactly the way described.
Second, even if you were (as I suspect) mistaking GP for a post about Glass app developers, you'd still be wrong: they can also make money from apps by selling mobile or Chrome Web Store (or iOS App Store, or other
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Re:Just means they will make their money another w (Score:4, Insightful)
It's not a phone, it's a Bluetooth accessory. And the price hasn't been set at $1500. We have no idea what they will be selling this for when it gets released, but over $1000 seems incredibly unlikely.
Re:Just means they will make their money another w (Score:4, Insightful)
I think you're totally correct,
While apple has been about the walled garden, google has been about the green valley with large high hills surrounding that discourage you to leave(but you can). Google is into building devices and products that make you use their other services that generate more value through advertisement and data collection. Google doesn't need to get your money from google glass after you buy it, because chances are you are going to use google.com, gmail and probably other services as well from them. These as we all know already track the information they are banning on glass anyways. The device is made to drive users to the other advertisement revenue streams and the larger the adoption of it(like the android phones) the larger their market share is for other services.
Most of the people I know that use an android phone use gmail and google search built in as well as their play store and some of the other apps. This is the driving force behind android and glass.
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I have a hard time believing that they will make all their revenue on hardware alone.
That was an unsupported assumption being made by the submitter.
Google isn't allowing third-party app developers to display ads. That's completely different from stating that THEY won't display ads or incorporate paid partners into whatever "services" they offer on the devices. Heck, for all we know they'll require a Google+ membership before a company will be included in their listing of nearby entities.
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No, Google is not using Glass to sell the OWNERS of Glass ads. That might happen eventually, but a more valuable service is being performed by Glass owners for Google. Namely the gather of information on other people THROUGH your glass. Se
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Re:Just means they will make their money another w (Score:4, Insightful)
They don't want you selling it because it's a development device that is only being sent to a select group of people. Your reason doesn't even make sense, if it was sold the new owner would obviously use it with their own account.
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They can stick their glass up their ass
Great idea: then they'll be transmitting livelink goatse 24/7. Thanks a lot!
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Absolutely. It's not needed. They know who they are spying on by which Google account it's logged in to.
Re:Just means they will make their money another w (Score:4, Insightful)
For glass they get all sorts of services delivered in real time in a non-obtrusive but always visible way. Some people will find this useful enough to BOTH pay for and give Google data. If people don't know what's really involved, whose fault is that really? Go into any court and argue 'but your honor, I didn't read the contract I signed' and see how far that goes. You'll be lucky if they don't laugh at you while dismissing your case. People need to be responsible for themselves, and stop expecting that "free" means they give nothing. It just means they don't have to tender money. Everything beyond that is up to contract terms. Ugh. I blame parents. My parents sure as hell didn't let me grow up thinking I was owed anything, or that I could just flop around the world hoping somebody else would be responsible for my interests/rights. Fucking grow up people. Being an adult is more than just age, you have to take control of your own life and go to the trouble of understanding the framework you live in.
And all you wankers who defend the ignorant, knock it off. You're not helping them.
Avoiding Conflict of Interests (Score:2)
CC.
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Given that "Glass Apps" are web apps that send and/or receive information to the device via the Mirror API [google.com], I'm trying to imagine how that would even work.
Hardware revenue? (Score:5, Insightful)
> Seems like Google is going for hardware-only revenue on this one
Or, you know, collecting user data such as location, what the user is looking at and browsing, and so on. Which then in turn can be used to target advertising.
what's the difference? and who does this benefit? (Score:4, Interesting)
Whatever (Score:5, Insightful)
They say this now but after Microsoft or Apple sell an ad supported product for cheaper they'll change their minds quickly.
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That is the opposite to Apple's way, so they won't do it. And Microsoft launching new hardware isn't much of a threat to anyone.
Google Glass will fail on it's own (lack of) merits.
Re:Whatever (Score:4, Interesting)
My point is that if it is successful as a product competitors will attempt to recreate a similar experience and may not see any issue with having ads. If ads become 'workable' into the product it will likely be used to subsidize the cost of the competing product hence making a lower priced product with similar or the same functionality. For Google to stay competitive in the long road they would likely need to implement ads. Turning on intrusive ads now would be awful if they want consumer adoption of the product.
uh.. so what happens (Score:2)
when I go to google.com with those?
and surely they would be taking a cut of the app sales, so no hw only vector there.
moreover.. they don't yet have a profit vector for it.
but don't worry, there's a very thin line between "information" and "advert" when your app exists solely for the purpose of finding nearest mcdonalds.
Great! (Score:3)
The next step is to pull all slashvertisements for Google Glass.
That seems daft (Score:2, Interesting)
Also, If the gps picks up that you are doing over 8mph it should t
User Agent (Score:2)
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That's a thought. By that or the use of CSS media, one should be able to block Google glass users from accessing a site just as easily as optimising a site for Google glass. Another fine way of boycotting it.
Contrary to widespread thought... (Score:5, Insightful)
Contrary to widespread thought, Google Glass will not be an advertising platform... yet!
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Lol (Score:5, Insightful)
But "sponsored notices" I am sure will be fully supported.
Cable TV (Score:5, Insightful)
Remember how Cable TV started out with no advertisements, to give people a good reason to plunk down big wads of cash every month for stuff like what they got free over the airwaves? Remember how short that lasted, once cable acceptance picked up? This no-ads/tracking thing is just a phase to get Google Glasses in front of everyone's eyeballs; then we'll get ads full blast.
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I think I agree with that. Google are probably worried that initial sales would be hampered by the preconceived notion that it would be used for major eyespam.
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Remember how I canceled cable and switched to netflix? If you were not aware that stopped the advertising right quick. It's cheaper too.
I suggest you do the same.
Glass is just a front end for the smartphone, you can block the adds there.
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Remember how Netflix took a couple decades to arrive after cable was already fully ad-ridden? Remember how the general public today still doesn't know how to fully ad-proof their browsers and root their cellphones, so even if a few uber-nerds slip through the cracks, Google will still have succeeded at further pushing omnipresent privacy invasion on the general public? gGlass is "just a front end for the smartphone" that gives them direct "push" capability straight to your eyeballs, and constant recording f
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Adblock plugins are generally the most popular plugin for browsers. No need to root a cellphone to install a web browser plugin.
It is not constantly recording. The battery could never do that. It even has a warning light that lets people know when you are recording as well.
Before netflix you could rent these round shiny disks that had videos on them without advertising. Before that they had these cartridge looking things with magnetic tape spooled up inside. Again all of this was available for those decades
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Battery life is only a minor technical hurdle, being steadily surmounted. Whatever can record for a couple hours today will be able to record all day in a few years. Anyway, Google probably doesn't need/want continuous video (yet); a frame grab every few seconds will give them a perfectly good sampling --- where you are, what brands and products you look at, what things you own, who you talk to --- on a highly granular few second basis; capturing 24FPS probably wouldn't add much more. Oh, and all those rent
Re:Cable TV (Score:5, Insightful)
No, the first models won't be recording all the time; no they won't hide anything. By the time Google enables recording, it'll be perfectly in the open and normal ("what kind of tinfoil-hatted nutter would care about a few frame grabs in return for all these nifty free services?") --- and it won't matter what your personal privacy votes are, because your visiting house-guests will record your life and habits for you. People choose to pay for stuff all the time --- and still get ads/tracking/intrusiveness added in to paid products. If it's a conspiracy to think that gGlass will follow the same patterns of increasing advertiser pervasiveness as TV, ebooks, music, games, credit cards, magazines, search engines, etc., then I guess I am a conspiracy nut.
Ads in glass apps different from ads in browser (Score:5, Informative)
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Lots of app developers create a "free" version of their app that is supported through advertising. It's this particular aspect of advertising that Google is trying to prevent from happening.
And yet at the same time they are preventing developers for charging for software. It's like a developer magnet... pointing the wrong way.
No Taunting! (Score:2)
DO NOT TAUNT GOOGLE GLASS!
This is the company that reads our email, right? (Score:2, Interesting)
If they're not going to blast these glasses with ads then it's because they've found a better way to exploit you. Probably selling your movements, then letting local merchants spam you.
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Lol. It's hilarious to see people's paranoid rantings.
FYI - Google would be utterly stupid to allow merchants to spam users. Or even sell their data to them.
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"FYI - Google would be utterly stupid to allow merchants to spam users. Or even sell their data to them."
Of course they would. That's what Google does to make money.
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Google keeps its data for itself. It doesn't give its most valuable assets to anyone no matter how high the price. It would be absurdly stupid to do that. Not to mention against their very obvious privacy policies.
But even without the policy in place, it's just a bad business decision. Google's entire business model is based on trust. If users feel they can't trust Google with the information they give them, they'll stop using their services.
Wake me up when they start giving my information to third parties.
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Probably selling your movements
Google doesn't sell any user data.
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Probably selling your movements
Google doesn't sell any user data.
Actually, slight correction, I believe the Google privacy policy does allow selling of aggregated data. I should have said Google doesn't sell any individual user data.
Also, disclaimer: I work for Google but don't have any inside information about this. My comments are based on the published privacy policy.
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Google has nothing except user data to sell.
They may not disclose individual data.
But they definitely sell it.
Google got their approach backward.
If they'd stayed with search, they could've charged companies by how successfully, quickly, easily, and uniquely people -found- the company's products when they wanted to solve a problem or fill a need and went searching for good answers.
Make what you sell good, and well and accurately and easily described, in a way that explains what need it satisfies -- and searc
Hardware Only? False Conclusion (Score:4, Insightful)
Seems like Google is going for hardware-only revenue on this one.
That conclusion is not supported by the fact that Google does not allow advertising on Google Glass. Google Glass is not exclusively an output device, it is also a sensor array. The data collected by the sensor array would be very valuable to Google's surveillance and analytics programs. Whether Google will store, use, or distribute any of the data collected by the Google Glass sensors has not, as far as I know, been addressed.
Generally speaking, Google seems to have a very solid understanding that it is inexpensive to store data and a significant opportunity cost to discard it.
Anonymous BS? (Score:3)
The internet company has explicitly and openly said that the Glass platform should and must be clean and clear of any ads whatsoever...
Really? When? Where? I cannot find any reference whatsoever to Google making that statement, only references, like this one, to an anonymous source claiming it. I feel confident that if Google had "explicitly and openly" said any such thing that I would have been able to well, you know, google it ;-)
Unmentioned here is the fact that Google is also forbidding developers to charge for their software, leaving developers with no revenue model at all. I imagine this is intended as an exploratory phase, and there is intent to in the future allow some revenue model for developers, but not giving any clue as to how developers might be allowed to make some money seems like a really good way to stifle development right from the outset.
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It's in the developer guidelines if you'd take five minutes to look at them.
Oh, I see... (Score:3)
The internet company has explicitly and openly said that the Glass platform should and must be clean and clear of any ads whatsoever, because the technology is designed to facilitate internet browsing and other related activities, therefore, the featured podium cannot be used to advertise products as it will cause the user experience to diminish
So it's designed for internet browsing and stuff...like smartphones???
I'm so sick of ads taking up my tiny screen space, my pathetic battery life, and my worthless monthly bandwidth. This is the worst in apps made by every random developer who thinks he's entitled to make a constant revenue stream from throwing together a piddly app to do something basic like a kitchen timer. I even had an app that was supposed to be an app-store release of the ICS camera app...and it had an ad on the screen when you were using the camera! All he did was release the ICS camera app!
How about standing up to these developers, Google? Huh?
Illegal. Plainly so. At least here. (Score:2, Informative)
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In the EU it is not legal to try and forbid anyone to resell items acquired by any means whatsoever. You buy it, you become the owner, you can do with it what you want: resell it, destroy it, lend it, rent it out, give it away. Google's gonna have a hard time with Euro Commissary iron Nellie ( Neelie Smit-Kroes, who already severely flogged them ).
I wonder if there aren't any exceptions for limited-access preview items. This first generation of Google Glass isn't available for sale to the public, and buyers of the Explorer edition have to agree to some things before they can purchase them.
Also, I don't believe people from outside the United States were eligible to apply for the Explorers program. Perhaps the EU law you mention doesn't include any exceptions allowing Google to impose these restrictions, and that's why it was limited to US residents.
Google can still run ads (Score:2)
Google isn't forbidding advertising on Glass. They're forbidding non-Google advertising.
Prevent a Siri (Score:4, Interesting)
http://www.inquisitr.com/256025/steve-wozniak-says-apple-ruined-siri-technology-after-acquisition/ [inquisitr.com] Here is Steve Wozniak showing how siri was destroyed by Apple advertising “What are the five largest lakes in California?” and “What are the prime numbers greater than 87?” (91). To which Wozniak replied, “It’s incredible. It’s like it understands ‘greater than.’”
Wozniak also notes that his former question about California Lakes now brings up lakefront properties while his question about prime numbers now displays information about prime ribs
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Let's see:
Looks like they fixed it.
The appeal of Google Glass (Score:2)
I think I have figured out the appeal of Google Glass. People saw Terminator 2 and remember all the information the terminator had at his 'eyeballs' and thought it was really, really cool. Google glass is an attempt to make this happen, next up Google Robot.
They already have to the OS of course, it will be simple to port 'droid' to it's next version that we'll call 'robot'. It's a small and light weight OS that can run on a variety of hardware platforms and was meant for one shape but adapted to another. It
Maybe a twist on the old saying (Score:2)
I wonder if their decision is based on my twist on that saying "don't attribute to kindness that which can be explained by avoiding liability and bad press". Perhaps they dont want to be caught showing ads to the first person who gets hit by a bus because his/her focus was on the display watching a sexy ad and not the world around them?
Shows How Messed Up Our Society Is (Score:2)
Decisions like this should, by law, be in the hands of the users.
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Not only are developers not allowed to advertise, they aren't allowed to charge for the software either. So how are they going to be paid for their work? How are they going to be paid for the content; the servers?
If the answer is that they're not, then that's going to limit the applications to amateur hour stuff.
And is it really no advertising, or is it no third party advertising. Hard to imagine Google not using their usual revenue stream.
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Who says they can't charge for software?
I have plenty of pay for software on my phone, right next to the FREE software. So far the phone has not exploded.
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Who says they can't charge for software?
TFA, you dumbass.
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1. Welcome to slashdot, we don't RTFA.
2. See Rule 1
They can't charge for google glass specific software. The idea is to get them to support glass in the normal software and not double dip.
Re:Awesome (Score:5, Funny)
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So you have one?
If not, how is your list anything other than total nonsense?
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(... the fuck is "battery phobia" anyway?)
Re:I think I'll wait for something Free (Score:5, Interesting)
The no ads is a provision of the agreement required to use the API that lets web apps connect to glass, its not enforced by EULA or DRM
Re:I think I'll wait for something Free (Score:5, Insightful)
People will not ever get used to having apps constantly and without provocation pushed into their face. You know what you get when you load a website. You know what you get when your turn on your TV or radio. But walking down the street just to have the latest Amazon sale pushed into your peripheral vision will mean that the app will be deinstalled.
What it won't prevent is showing those email notifications of that shop you once did business with and that has been pestering you ever since. And you will get solicited ads when you ask where to go for lunch. These informations will propably be pulled right off Google Maps and I highly suspect that this is where Google will be making its money.
Also bear in mind that this thing isn't always on. You will either have to wake it up by fondling it or sloooowly lifting your head. So shoving unsolicited ads into your vision wouldn't work most of the time since it most likely will be turned off. Battery life isn't that good on that thing to have it turned on the whole day.
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The no ads is a provision of the agreement required to use the API that lets web apps connect to glass, its not enforced by EULA or DRM
Is there also a provision that Google may change the EULA at any time, without prior notice? eg. When sales have taken off and enough people have been suckered in by the promise of no ads.
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I know its too much to expect slashdot posters to RTFA, but is it really unreasonable to expect reading the part of the post you are responding to that you cut-and-paste-and-blockquote in y
Re:I think I'll wait for something Free (Score:5, Informative)
You appear to be confusing the end user with the service/app provider.
Service provider != End User (Score:4, Informative)
No, but in my country the app developer isn't the "End User", and the terms and conditions of an API service agreement are not a "License Agreement".
The only part that the API agreement and an EULA have in common is that they are both "agreements".
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well, I guess you better go back into your cave because that is never going to happen.
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Sure you can.
Any ad spewing to Glass software gets kicked out of the market. If users still want it they can get it through alternate markets.
Re:I think I'll wait for something Free (Score:5, Funny)
Leela: Didn't you have ads in the 21st century?"
Fry: Well sure, but not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio, and in magazines, and movies, and at ball games... and on buses and milk cartons and t-shirts, and bananas and written on the sky. But not in dreams, no siree.
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"You can't prevent ads without either an onerous EULA with over-the-top enforcement or some hardcore DRM."
So my blocking hosts file in my android phone is "hardcore DRM"? I prevent ads on my android devices just fine.
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It is just a display for an android device.
Ad blocking on and android device is pretty simple.
You can even just install Firefox and the adblock plus extension if you only want to block web browser ads and are not rooted.
Re:No ads? Only until it's built up in market shar (Score:4, Insightful)
The relevant quote in the article is "At the moment, there are no plans..."..
Re:Can't resell it... what?! I hope CM is okay... (Score:5, Informative)
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Well... of course you can sell it if you want. It would not be against the law to do so. You did buy the hardware. It will, however, stop working for the new owner at some point in the future.
Let's be clear. "You're not allowed" does not mean men from black helicopters coming through your skylight denying you your resale rights.
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Its dependent for on external resources. There doesn't need to be a kill switch on the device to disable it, all Google has to do is pull it from the authorized list on the servers it relies on.
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Presumably, from your comments, you don't want it. That's fine, you aren't the whole market.
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I'm a geek. I want something new because I'm excited by the technology. It's enough of a reason to start out with.
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Don't you get it? They said it would only be a platform to browse the web. We all know there are no adds on the web.
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dear TheGratefulNet:
the world is not willing to acceept your 'always wanting privacy' concept. we are rightfully annoyed at your persistence and insistence that the majority of people Care(tm).
you are clearly trying to incite fears in a populace that is too uncaring to give a shit but let me state again, clearly and unambiguously:
MOST. PEOPLE. WANT.
it was an interesting idea for 'self-aware people' but just not really fitting into what we, as a society, so clearly want.
please just stop trying to force the
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MOST. PEOPLE. WANT.
You need to get out more. Most people haven't got a clue what it is. And if they see people wearing them they'll think they're assholes.
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I'm a geek. I'm too excited about the technology and what I can do with it to give a flying fuck about the "societal and cultural implications".
No one's forcing you to buy Google Glass. Don't worry - no one will come and shove them down your throat. So I don't get what exactly your problem is.
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Don't worry - no one will come and shove them down your throat.
Well that's one of two places where owners are going to find them shoved if they aren't very careful about where they use them.
Selfish mobile phones users in cinemas have nothing on the potential for jerks to be annoying with Google glass.
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As long as its a public place, others will just have to shut up and put up with it. If it's a private venue, then the owners have the right to lay down whatever rules they want of course.
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Just like you can count on everybody buying a Segway because they are too lazy to walk.... hey, wait a minute.
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In the context of the terms they've written out, I assume "lend" means for a longer period of time than simply letting someone try them on. It's usually understood that lending an item to someone is letting them use it for its intended purpose, like lending a spare cell phone to someone to use until they get a new one, instead of just handing someone your shiny new cell phone to show it off.
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Yes. It's early hardware being given out to developers, it's normal that people aren't allowed to (say) loan their company's PS4 out to their mate's stag do. At least not if they like having kneecaps.