Meta Smart Glasses Face Privacy Backlash as Germany Files Complaint and UK Courts Impose Ban

BERLIN/LONDON, Aug 12: Meta’s AI-powered smart glasses are facing growing scrutiny in Europe, with a German digital rights group filing a criminal complaint against Meta and its business partners while courts in England and Wales have moved to prohibit the devices inside court buildings.

German digital rights organization HateAid filed the complaint against Meta Platforms Technologies Ireland, eyewear brands Ray-Ban and Oakley, and retailers including Fielmann, Apollo-Optik, Mister Spex and MediaMarkt. The group alleges that the sale of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, particularly the Wayfarer Gen 2 model, violates Germany’s Telecommunications-Digital Services Data Protection Act.

HateAid argues that the glasses can be difficult to distinguish from ordinary eyewear and that the small indicator light used to signal camera recording may not provide adequate warning to people nearby. German law prohibits communications devices disguised as everyday objects when they are designed to record images or private conversations without consent, with violations potentially carrying up to two years in prison or a fine.

“There is nowhere people are safe from smart glasses,” HateAid Managing Director Josephine Ballon said, warning that people could be recorded without their knowledge and that footage could later be shared online.

The organization said it has documented a rise in cases involving image-based digital abuse, particularly against women, and called for the glasses to be removed from sale in Germany. It also demanded stronger “safety by design” measures, including larger and tamper-resistant recording indicators.

Germany’s Federal Network Agency has previously said smart glasses may be prohibited when their recording functions are not sufficiently recognizable. The regulator, however, has clarified that ownership, import and sale are not automatically illegal if recording is clearly indicated.

Separately, the Hamburg data protection authority has been examining Ray-Ban Meta glasses since 2025, including the visibility of recording indicators, the processing of images and audio, AI functions and the potential use of collected data to train Meta’s systems.

In the UK, courts in England and Wales have also banned the glasses from court buildings amid concerns over unauthorized recording. The His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) said anyone entering a court with Meta smart glasses will have them confiscated and returned upon departure.

The decision follows a similar move by courts in New York. HMCTS said taking photographs or recording video inside UK court buildings without official permission is prohibited and can potentially result in contempt of court proceedings.

The developments highlight growing concerns among authorities and rights groups that AI-enabled eyewear capable of discreetly recording images and audio could create significant privacy and surveillance risks in public spaces and sensitive environments.