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Google Glass will be banned from most UK movie theaters

Google Glass will be banned from most UK movie theaters

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Google Glass went on sale in the UK last week, and it's already encountering some pushback. According to The Independent, Google Glass will be banned from most movie theaters in the country, with a rule being put in place to bar them from theater auditoriums even when movies aren't playing.

The decision was made by the Cinema Exhibitors' Association, a trade group that says it represents 90 percent of UK theater operators. "Customers will be requested not to wear these into cinema auditoriums," Phil Clapp, the CEA's chief executive, tells The Independent, "whether the film is playing or not."

"Customers will be requested not to wear these into cinema auditoriums."

Glass would make for a pretty awful way to record a movie, despite theater owners' apparent concerns. Glass' battery life is short when recording video, and it would be hard not to notice Glass' lights in the middle of a dark theater. It's possible that they're also concerned that Glass will be a distraction to other moviegoers, though in that case, the headset could easily be treated just like a cellphone.

Still, the CEA's reaction is far from uncommon. Many businesses quickly moved to ban Glass after its introduction in the US, often for privacy purposes. They may not all be perfectly sensible bans, but bans like this are bad news for Google nonetheless. It puts a bad spin on Glass, and the public's current perception of Glass certainly isn't helping it take off.