Restaurants, pubs and theatres ban Meta’s ‘spy glasses’ over privacy fears
A number of UK restaurants, pubs, and theatres have moved to ban Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses on their premises, citing privacy concerns for customers and staff. Meta says the glasses have safeguards against covert recording, but venues are not waiting to find out.
Why this matters: The glasses look like normal eyewear. That is the whole problem. Anyone wearing them in a busy pub or restaurant could be recording staff and other customers who have no idea it is happening. Meta's answer is that safeguards exist, but that puts the burden on the person being filmed to trust a company's settings, not on the person doing the filming. Venues banning them entirely is a blunt solution, but it is honest about the core issue: some technology makes meaningful consent nearly impossible in public spaces.
Who should care: General readers · Privacy officers · Policy
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