The success of Pokémon GO marks a significant milestone
in the growing use of augmented reality and its implications for
privacy. As the Pokémon GO craze currently sweeping the
planet shows, our insatiable appetite to catch the next new piece
of smartphone software (or in this case a Pokémon)
continues to trump any consideration for the implications this
might have on our privacy.
While augmented reality has long been used for military,
industrial and medical applications, its huge potential for
commercial and entertainment applications is only now being
realised. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently stated, "We are high
on augmented reality for the long run, we think there's great
things for customers and a great commercial opportunity."
But while companies rush to take advantage of these opportunities,
recent events demonstrate that the privacy implications of this
technology have been left as an afterthought.
