Amongst the buzz and hype surrounding Google Glass, health and fitness monitoring wristbands, smart watches, implantable devices, talking cars and the rest of the burgeoning field labelled ‘wearable technology,’ an important aspect is largely overlooked if not ignored.
That aspect embraces multiple issues, from privacy of personal or confidential information to ethical behaviours we expect from companies and brands who may use wearable technology in their marketing, communication and other activities that let them reach out to consumers and employees.
It seems to me that, too often, we’re overlooking a key point that technology, wearable or otherwise, is about what people do or not do, not the shiny new objects themselves.
So I’m looking forward to the opportunity to discuss such concerns as part of a debate that will take place in London next month at the House of Commons, organized by the CIPR:
On the evening of Monday 7 July in Committee Room 10 at the House of Commons, the CIPR will be hosting a Debating Group event to debate the motion ‘Wearable Technology is an ethical nightmare for the communications, marketing and PR professions’.
Chair: Lord Clement-Jones
Proposing the motion: Stephen Davies, Founder, Substantial Digital Health
Seconding the motion: Neville Hobson, NevilleHobson.com
Opposing the motion: Stephen Waddington MCIPR, CIPR President, Digital and Social Media Director at Ketchum Europe
Seconding: Claire Walker FCIPR, Chief Executive, Firefly Communications
This a red-hot topic, in my view, one that’s swimming with “It depends…” elements, and one that we must debate and get on the attention agenda of public relations practitioners.
The debate is free to attend but you must request an invitation. Details on how to do that are on the CIPR’s event page.
Hashtag: #CIPRdebate.
- A very good perspective on wearable tech and ethics appeared in GigaOm a year ago: With wearable tech like Google Glass, human behavior is now a design problem. Worthwhile reading.
31 responses to “Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR?”
Hobson: Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR?:
Amongst the buzz and hype surrounding Google Gla… http://t.co/6tWMCmZBo4
#SocialMediaPost Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR?:
Amongst the buzz and hype surr… http://t.co/LpMAAIUcqb @Jangles
Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR? http://t.co/9zyeXSh55a
Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR? by @jangles http://t.co/xMbFpgXNzb http://t.co/hn82bXVFSy
Robert French liked this on Facebook.
RT @akwyz: Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR? by @jangles http://t.co/xMbFpgXNzb http://t.co/hn82bXVFSy
RT @jangles: Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR?: … http://t.co/3LWc9fBT5i
RT @jangles: Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR?: … http://t.co/3LWc9fBT5i
A highly relevant debate. Have dropped an email to see if there is a spare place.
Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR? http://t.co/LzQkDAJgh6 #PR
Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR? http://t.co/Fpymw5iXxz #B2B
Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR?: http://t.co/RPINSQDdAm <- Going to try and get a ticket for this #CIPR
Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for #PR http://t.co/Dzzz1j4a1G via @jangles #CIPRdebate This #PRPro is very excited about #IoT.
Bob Crawshaw liked this on Facebook.
This sounds like a great project and if I was in England, I’d go. In Canada, Go-Pro has a package that includes a chest mount and a helmet mount for a GoPro camera. I was wondering yesterday what the reaction would be by staff in restaurants if customers arrived with helmet or chest cameras.turned on.
Of course, lots of cops already have cameras turned on when they talk to you about anything.
RT @PRDailyNews Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR? http://t.co/1aXvsTCtmb #PR
I’d also say that Google doesn’t get consumers, so that’s a big part of the problem.
Jeremy Pepper liked this on Facebook.
The #Ethics & #Trust challenges of wearable #Digital technology: http://t.co/NSYWDbuUYG #CIPRdebate @tefdigital
RT @elainecohen: RT @gareth_rice: The #Ethics & #Trust challenges of wearable #Digital technology: http://t.co/R844i1ALpf #CIPRdebate @tef…
[…] thinking, check out Neville Hobson’s post about an upcoming debate in the UK about whether wearable technology represents a coming ethical nightmare for PR. I have some of my own thoughts on this topic, so stay tuned to this space in the days […]
seeing @jangles in a Commons #wearable debate http://t.co/bRWXqsbFd3
RT @elainecohen: RT @gareth_rice: The #Ethics & #Trust challenges of wearable #Digital technology: http://t.co/R844i1ALpf #CIPRdebate @tef…
Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR? http://t.co/ifQNt72w2p -> Looking forward to debating this alongside @jangles #wearables
RT @stedavies: Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR? http://t.co/ifQNt72w2p -> Looking forward to debating this alongside @ja…
RT @stedavies: Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR? http://t.co/ifQNt72w2p -> Looking forward to debating this alongside @ja…
RT @stedavies: Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR? http://t.co/ifQNt72w2p -> Looking forward to debating this alongside @ja…
@stedavies @jangles Tried Glass for 1st time today. Colleagues thought it was creepy. I thought it was creepy. Awkward all round #wearables
Is wearable technology an ethical nightmare for PR? http://t.co/bDniSJCSAP
Prepped for the big debate! http://t.co/0t2P3WcnqX #PRethics #wearables