Honestly, I do think Google is really afraid of their perception problem. The last thing Google needs is people thinking data collection is going to lead somewhere bad.
I think that's a lot of why they really sunk the Google Glass project after the privacy backlash started appearing heavily in the media.
I loved my Glass, I still would prefer it over smartwatches sold today. But now it's kinda abandoned.
The annoying thing is that Glass would've still been a great product without the camera. All they needed to do was release a cameraless version first, then evolve from there. But instead they came across as some sort of weird surveillance device - which is a perception that Google is always struggling with.
I think that's a lot of why they really sunk the Google Glass project after the privacy backlash started appearing heavily in the media.
I loved my Glass, I still would prefer it over smartwatches sold today. But now it's kinda abandoned.