A petition circulating across Britain demands a sales ban on smart glasses after covert recordings of women and girls surfaced online, fueling a growing European backlash against the devices.
The controversy arrives as wearable tech adoption accelerates. Meta moved roughly seven million pairs of its Ray-Ban branded spectacles in 2025 alone, compared with two million total during 2023 and 2024 combined. Google and Snap meanwhile prepare competing AI-powered models.
Anyone wearing the glasses can capture photos, record video, place calls, or query an AI assistant. That capability sparked fierce debate last summer following Meta’s promotional partnership with beauty entrepreneur Kylie Jenner, which thrust the product into mainstream visibility.
British media seized on reports of so-called “pervert glasses” alongside revelations that Meta is developing facial recognition features. In August, a 17-year-old girl told Channel 4 News how a stranger approached and secretly filmed her during their encounter.
Meta responded by highlighting deterrent measures against disabling the LED recording indicator. The company said firms offering to bypass that warning light had ceased operations as a result.
Oslo banned the devices from Norwegian schools this week while the government considers broader restrictions, including prohibiting public facial recognition capabilities. France’s CNIL data watchdog urged vigilance, and EU lawmakers pressed for rules.
Slovak MEP Veronika Cifrova Ostrihonova questioned the European Commission about GDPR and AI regulation compliance but stated she had received no answer. “We need clear EU rules and strong enforcement so new technologies don’t come at the expense of fundamental rights,” she told AFP.
Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba went further, endorsing an outright ban until safety concerns resolve. “We must act as soon as possible,” he said.
A “Stop Smart Glasses” campaign launched in Britain and Ireland, gathering more than 9,100 petition signatures. Britain’s government must formally respond at 10,000.
Campaign co-founder Guy Holder, a teacher, described fears about “total surveillance” and an atmosphere where “anybody can film anybody without their knowledge or consent.”
The European Data Protection Board commissioned a report examining the glasses’ social acceptability, expected this autumn. That analysis could shape future EU-wide regulation.
