Key facts
- European lawmakers and regulators are increasing scrutiny of smart glasses due to surveillance risks.
- Concerns have been heightened by reports of subcontractors reviewing private footage captured by Meta's smart glasses.
- The European Data Protection Board has commissioned a report on the social acceptability of smart glasses.
- Meta states its smart glasses have privacy safeguards, including an LED light that activates when recording.
- France's privacy regulator warned that smart glasses pose a significant risk of invisible and omnipresent surveillance.
Europe is intensifying its warnings and scrutiny regarding the surveillance risks posed by smart glasses, signaling a significant conflict over personal privacy. Lawmakers and regulators are debating whether the technology, which integrates cameras into spectacles, complies with European privacy regulations.
Privacy advocates argue that the glasses violate principles like consent, as individuals captured by the built-in cameras cannot object to their data being processed. Concerns were amplified by reports that subcontractors for Meta in Kenya were reviewing sensitive footage from the company's smart glasses to train AI models, including recordings of intimate moments and personal financial details.
Liberal European Parliament lawmaker Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová emphasized the need for immediate action, stating that technology breaching privacy or targeting women in unwanted ways should not be accepted on the European market. Her political group has formally inquired with the European Commission about potential EU-level actions. Eric Leijonram, director general of Sweden’s data protection authority, highlighted the necessity for clear discussions to ensure people understand when they are being filmed or recorded by these devices.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has commissioned a report on the social acceptability of smart glasses, expected this summer. Meanwhile, some are taking independent action; a U.S. class action lawsuit against Meta is progressing, and a European coder developed an app called Nearby Glasses to alert people to the presence of smart glasses, which has seen over 120,000 downloads since its February launch.
A Meta spokesperson stated that their AI glasses include privacy safeguards, such as an LED light that activates when a photo or video is being taken, and tamper detection technology to prevent the light from being covered. The company also noted that captured media remains on the device unless users choose to share it.
Despite Meta's defenses, regulators are moving forward. France's privacy regulator, CNIL, issued a warning in May, describing smart glasses as posing a significant risk of normalizing surveillance. The EDPB's upcoming report will assess the technology's impact, with chair Anu Talus noting that smart glasses elevate the collection of information to a new level compared to smartphones. Meta is also reportedly exploring facial recognition capabilities for its smart glasses.
When Meta first launched its RayBan smart glasses in Europe in 2021, privacy watchdogs raised concerns about whether it was sufficiently obvious to people that they were being filmed. Following recommendations from the Irish regulator, a newer version included a larger, blinking light to signal recording. Other companies, including Samsung and Google, are also developing intelligent eyewear, and Apple is reportedly planning its own smart glasses by late 2027. EssilorLuxottica reported that while smart glasses sales are growing rapidly in the U.S., the rollout in the EMEA region remains slower.