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Europe Ramps Up Push to Ban AI Smart Glasses Amid Privacy Backlash
Officials are weighing limits on devices that can record people in public, as advocates warn facial recognition could turn them into surveillance tools.
- Growing calls across Europe for action against AI smart glasses have intensified following reports of secret filming, with a British petition demanding a ban on sales and critics labeling the devices "pervert glasses."
- Meta sold 7 million pairs of its AI-powered glasses in 2025, up from 2 million in 2023 and 2024, but intense media coverage erupted after reports that devices were used to covertly record women, including a 17-year-old girl.
- Activists including teacher Guy Holder and Swedish designer Mateusz Pozar launched campaigns against the technology; the "Stop Smart Glasses" petition has gathered more than 9,100 signatures urging supporters to contact stores.
- Oslo school officials banned the glasses this week while European Parliament lawmaker Alex Agius Saliba called for a total ban until safety is proven, and Slovak lawmaker Veronika Cifrova Ostrihonova demanded clear rules.
- The European Commission stated national authorities are "responsible for monitoring and enforcing" privacy rules, while Meta said it implemented steps to prevent LED tampering, which the company claims has had a "deterrent effect.
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44 Articles
44 Articles
Anxiety grows in Europe over ‘pervert’ AI glasses
Calls are growing louder in Europe for action against “pervert” smart glasses after secretly filmed video of girls and women appeared online — with a petition in Britain demanding a ban on their sale.
·Bangkok, Thailand
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Meta camera glasses should be banned for privacy reasons, says Dutch consumer group
The Dutch Consumers Association is pushing for a ban on the Ray-Ban camera glasses made by Meta. The glasses can be used to secretly film people and therefore are a “danger to privacy,” the association said. They added that this type of ban should be applied throughout Europe. The AI glasses were designed to look like regular glasses, but they have built-in functions that ensure that users can take photos or videos hands-free; they can also call…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources44
Leaning Left6Leaning Right5Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution35% Left, 35% Center
Bias Distribution
- 35% of the sources lean Left, 35% of the sources are Center
35% Center
L 35%
C 35%
R 30%
Factuality
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