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Privacy concerns and retail bans over Meta smart glasses

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2026-10-23 14:20 UTC → 2026-10-24 18:09 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Dutch eyewear retailer Hans Anders and e-commerce site Wehkamp have suspended the sale of Meta’s AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium. This decision follows intensifying public and political debate regarding privacy and the potential for covert recording. In the Netherlands, members of the Tweede Kamer have sought bans on devices perceived as ‘peeping glasses,’ while consumer rights group Consumentenbond has threatened legal action unless the devices are modified to comply with privacy laws. Consumentenbond specifically noted that users could potentially bypass recording indicators. In Norway, the government has announced a temporary ban on AI-equipped glasses in various public areas, such as schools, shopping centers, and parks, to facilitate regulatory research. Meta has defended the technology, noting that a blinking light indicates when recording is in progress and that the camera is automatically disabled if the light is tampered with. Alex Himel, director of Meta’s eyewear division, described the attempts to disable the LED as a ‘cat-and-mouse game’ and stated that Meta will not withdraw the glasses from the market. He compared the current controversy to the initial reception of smartphones equipped with cameras. Recent developments have expanded the scope of the backlash. Hans Anders, part of the Nexeye group, has suspended sales across more than 400 physical and online stores in the Netherlands and Belgium. In the United Kingdom, the hospitality group Wetherspoon has restricted the use of the glasses, amid calls for regulation in the British Parliament. Furthermore, research from the University of Sydney found that in 43% of analyzed Instagram videos made with the glasses, women were exposed to online abuse or had personal details revealed. In the United States, a lawsuit alleges that recorded images were reviewed by human annotators without the subjects' knowledge.

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