- Eyewear retailer Hans Anders has stopped sales of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses
- The decision comes amid growing concerns over the public use of the tech
- Dutch consumer rights group Consumentenbond has said it will take Meta to court if it fails to comply with the law
The clampdown on privacy-threatening ‘pervert glasses’ continues, with Dutch eyewear retailer Hans Anders pulling the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses from its online and high street stores in Belgium and the Netherlands indefinitely.
Hans Anders is part of the nexeye retail group, which operates over 400 stores across those two countries alone. When combined with its stores across Germany, Austria, and Sweden, it has 776 stores in total, although the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses aren’t sold in the latter three regions.
The use of smart glasses has sparked a heated debate about whether these devices belong in public spaces, with concerns raised about general safety and privacy. Speaking with Reuters, a spokesperson for Hans Anders detailed the company’s decision to make the bold move, sharing the following:
"This decision follows the ongoing public and political debate surrounding smart glasses and the questions being raised about the conditions under which this technology can be used”.
One of the biggest areas of concern is women's privacy. According to a report from the NL Times, Meta's smart glasses have been used to capture footage of 'hundreds, maybe thousands' of Dutch women without their consent over the past few months. The outlet says the footage has been shared on messaging apps such as Telegram, as well as other harmful online sites.
The move follows a recent warning issued by the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP), which said that photos and video footage of identifiable individuals taken using smart glasses can’t be shared without the individual's permission — though this is something that's clearly difficult to control in public spaces.
That’s not the only organization that’s decided to take an active stance against Meta. Earlier this week Consumentenbond, a consumer rights group, declared it will take Meta to court if the tech giant doesn’t amend its smart glasses to comply with privacy laws. That said, Meta says it’s always developing its smart glasses:
"Every pair with a camera has a bright light on the front that blinks when you take a photo or video — it can't be turned off, and the camera is disabled if someone covers or tampers with it," a Meta spokesperson said. Despite this indicator, there’s nothing in place to stop users from covering the light to stop others from knowing if they’re being filmed.
As far as retailers go, Hans Anders is one of the first to enact a public protest against smart glasses, joining the fight to protect the privacy and wellbeing of consumers. The Netherlands’ combat against these devices is only just beginning — and other nations have expressed similar concerns.
The UK is also taking similar measures to ensure public spaces are free from the looming threat of smart glasses. Popular pub chain Wetherspoons has banned the use of smart glasses in its pubs across the country, while the UK Cinema Association says movie theaters could also introduce similar smart glasses restrictions to prevent piracy, and even stop users from livestreaming movies to social media platforms .
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