Across Europe, the rapid adoption of AI-powered wearable devices has ignited significant debates surrounding smart glasses privacy. These innovative spectacles offer numerous functionalities. Users can capture photos and videos, listen to music, make phone calls, and even translate text or interact with an AI assistant.
Big Tech giants now increasingly view these glasses as the next major advancement in wearable technology. Advances in artificial intelligence have further propelled this trend. Meta’s smart spectacles, developed in collaboration with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, have seen considerable success, contrasting with Google’s less successful push in 2013.
Meta reported sales of approximately seven million pairs in 2025. This marks a substantial increase from a combined total of two million pairs sold in 2023 and 2024. Other companies, including Google and Snap, are also preparing to launch their own AI-powered glasses. However, this exponential growth has unfortunately brought considerable backlash.
Worries escalated sharply in Europe this past summer. Media coverage, especially in Britain, highlighted fears over so-called “pervert glasses.” Reports also surfaced about Meta’s development of a facial recognition feature for these devices. For example, a 17-year-old girl told a British broadcaster how a man covertly recorded her during an interaction.
Meta, when contacted, stated it has implemented various measures. These steps aim to prevent tampering with the blinking LED light, which indicates recording. This light remains a key concern for critics. Meta asserts these investments are already having a deterrent effect, noting that companies offering to disable the LED lights have since ceased operations.
Meanwhile, Norway’s capital, Oslo, recently banned these glasses in schools. The Norwegian government is currently deliberating on regulating their use and may prohibit facial recognition features in public. Similar appeals are urging the European Union to address the issue. France’s CNIL data protection watchdog, moreover, has called for increased vigilance.
Mateusz Pozar, a Swedish designer, launched a “Ban Ray” website earlier this year. The site provides signs to restrict smart glasses in venues and sells stickers. Pozar initiated the campaign after two men wearing the glasses recorded his girlfriend, which deeply unnerved her. He advocates for a broader societal discussion on this technology before it becomes ubiquitous, emphasizing privacy, personal rights, and data control.
Pozar also voiced concerns regarding data extraction. Reports indicate Kenya-based workers reviewed graphic content captured by Meta’s AI glasses. Additionally, EU lawmaker Veronika Cifrova Ostrihonova has raised the issue with the bloc’s executive. She seeks clarification on whether these glasses comply with existing data protection and AI rules, awaiting an official response.
The European Commission stated that national data protection authorities are responsible for monitoring and enforcing privacy rules. However, the independent European Data Protection Board has commissioned a report, due this autumn. This report will assess the “social acceptability” of the glasses. Furthermore, EU lawmaker Alex Agius Saliba expressed widespread concern across the political spectrum. He strongly urged swift action, calling for a ban on these devices until their safety is definitively proven. A “Stop Smart Glasses” campaign in Britain and Ireland has garnered over 9,100 signatures on a petition. Its founders voice concerns about impacts on women and girls, potential public space invasion, and risks of total surveillance.
