Hidden Harassment

The study found the widespread use of what it referred to as “ambient capture”, which involves the “clandestine recording” of people and interactions in a variety of public and private settings.

The authors argued that such activity could constitute harassment when women are targeted, as they were in these scenarios, and the footage is shared online without their knowledge or consent.

Meta markets its smart glasses, the first generation of which were launched in September 2021, as enabling “effortless connection”. The latest iteration of the product, simply referred to as “Meta Glasses”, received a recent marketing boost from American personality Kylie Jenner, who fronted an ad campaign for a pair designed in collaboration with her.

Among the features touted on the Meta AI glasses website are the ability to capture high-quality photos and videos and chat with Meta AI to get recommendations, answers and reminders for whatever the wearer requires.

Newer versions also feature a private, in-lens display that users can call up or dismiss according to their preference.

The wide range of discreet capabilities is at the center of the current discontent that has prompted proposals and reactions from different sectors.

The UK Cinema Association (UKCA) reportedly said this week that many of the country’s cinemas could introduce policies to prohibit or restrict the wearing of "camera-enabled smart glasses".

The association lists wearable technologies as a key issue on its website, as smart glasses have made the illicit recording of films a more pressing threat for cinema chains.

“While the position on mobile phones remains that cinemas ask people to put these away when the film is playing, with wearable technology it is generally more difficult to detect when they are and are not recording, so the approach is a precautionary one”, the UKCA says on its website.

Its recommended policy remains that customers should be requested not to bring wearable technology capable of recording images into cinema auditoriums. Those who do, it says, could be asked to remove the device or to leave the premises.

Cinemas are not the only venues that have recently turned against the technology. Restaurants, pubs and theaters have done so as well.

Popular British pub chain Wetherspoons has implemented an effective ban on the AI glasses. Wetherspoons chief executive Tim Martin told The Guardian that the general code that applies in its pubs, like most pubs, is that “you can’t film customers or employees without their permission”.

“Meta glasses seem to breach this code, and common sense, by enabling surreptitious surveillance, so our instinct is to say turn off the cameras”, he said.

Similarly, London restaurateur Jeremy King told the same publication that he would “never knowingly allow any invasion of guest privacy”.

In Meta's Defense

Meta, for its part, has defended the glasses by pointing to a light that turns on when recording is in progress or a picture is being taken.

In a blog post issued last month in response to questions about its AI glasses, Meta said that for wearable technology to succeed, it must be trusted both by wearers and those around them.

The white light accompanying picture-taking or recording – known as a capture LED – has no off switch and offers the best combination of visibility and experience, the company said.

Attempts to cover or disable the LED cause the camera function to stop working. Meta has committed to monitor the safeguard’s effectiveness as the glasses become more common.

That outcome is likely. Meta’s eyewear partner EssilorLuxottica revealed in filings that more than seven million pairs were sold last year alone, a significant acceleration from earlier sales.

Despite rising sales, opposition to the futuristic fashion is unlikely to die down anytime soon. A German non-governmental organization has filed a criminal complaint against Meta and other companies selling its AI glasses in the country, arguing the devices violate privacy laws.

Federally funded HateAid is arguing that the sale of AI smart glasses in Germany constitutes a criminal offense.

“Whether on the subway, at work, or in the sauna: Considering the way smart glasses work right now, people aren’t safe anywhere”, HateAid CEO Josephine Ballon said, adding that people must now expect to be filmed at any moment and then “exposed” on the internet.