It certainly doesn't read like a joke.

I think GP is trying to find ways to feel like they're giving their child freedom without actually giving them any at all. But it's hard to think of anything worse for freedom than attaching a camera to to someone. Yes, technically they wouldn't be directly prohibiting the child from anything, but the presence of a camera means the child is forced to assume that everything they do will be judged by the parent even when the parent has no present physical control over the child.

He is only 5, he isn’t going to think like that, it’s not for judging reasons. It’s just to enable some early independence that would otherwise be impossible here (if we were in Japan, totally different story, but the USA doesn’t let 5 year olds go by the selves to the corner store to buy eggs).

Well, if I want to let him explore on his own somewhere outside, it might be an option. It isn’t something that we would sneak on him, he is already into gopro. It might work for some early trial runs? Like, walk around the block by yourself with this on (for a five year old, definitely not for a 10 year old).

They sounded serious; reminds me of the Black Mirror episode “Arkangel”.

OP, as a general rule, when something you're doing reminds someone of a Black Mirror episode, please re-evaluate your choices.