Hamburg parliament moves to ban smart glasses in public spaces

The Hamburg Parliament has approved a motion to ban smart glasses in public transportation, public swimming pools, and saunas due to rising privacy concerns. The proposal, driven by the SPD and Green parties, argues that these specific public spaces require heightened protection because commuters often have no choice but to use public transit, and privacy is a fundamental expectation in aquatic facilities.

The move specifically targets wearable devices like those produced by Meta, which feature integrated cameras that allow users to record footage discreetly without a phone. Concerns have been raised regarding the use of these devices to film individuals—often women—secretly for social media. While Meta’s glasses include an LED indicator to signal recording, privacy advocates and lawmakers argue this signal is insufficient, as it is too small and can be easily tampered with or disabled.

Additionally, the Hamburg city administration is calling on the German federal government to implement stricter nationwide regulations, specifically targeting the use of facial recognition technology on smart glasses.