Google Glass appears to have faced its first legal test — and won.
A San Diego court commissioner Thursday dismissed a case against a woman who was pulled over for speeding, then ticketed for wearing Google's augmented-reality glasses behind the wheel.
According to Reuters, the case was dropped because it was impossible to prove whether the driver, Cecilia Abadie, had the video screen turned on while driving.
A lawyer for Abadie previously maintained that the device activated itself when she turned to look up at the highway patrol officer who pulled her over. (Google Glass is invoked by looking up, among other gestures.)
While the move is a good sign for Glass users navigating uncertain policy waters, the fact that the case was dismissed on a technicality suggests more challenges may be ahead.
Brian Fungcovers technology for The Washington Post, focusing on electronic privacy, national security, digital politics and the Internet that binds it all together. He was previously the technology correspondent for National Journal and an associate editor at the Atlantic. His writing has also appeared in Foreign Policy, Talking Points Memo, the American Prospect and Nonprofit Quarterly.