The Consumers’ Association is calling for a ban on Meta’s Ray‑Ban camera glasses. According to the association, the glasses make it too easy to secretly film people, creating a serious privacy risk. They want this ban to be introduced at the European level.
Camouflaged
The AI‑enabled glasses look like regular eyewear but include built‑in features that allow users to take photos and videos hands‑free, make calls, and listen to music. When a recording is made, a small light on the front of the glasses is supposed to flash.
The Consumers’ Association says that special stickers can be bought to cover this light. Their tests show that the glasses can still record video even when the light is covered, despite Meta’s claim that the camera should stop working if the light is tampered with. The association also notes that the light is often hard to see, especially in bright sunlight or from a distance.
Concerns
Director Sandra Molenaar says it is especially worrying that all photos and videos taken with the glasses are sent to Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook. She points out that the organisation has criticised Meta for years because of repeated privacy violations.
It is unclear what Meta does with the data collected through the glasses. Therefore, the organisation argues that, to protect everyone’s privacy, a ban on camera glasses is necessary.
Last year, music venue TivoliVredenburg announced its own ban on these types of camera glasses. That decision followed an incident in Rotterdam, where a man used camera glasses to secretly film women near the toilets during a festival. Concerns about these camera glasses are also increasing in other European countries.
@anp | NEWSBRAINPORT
