Countries weigh banning smart glasses over privacy concerns

Governments, courts and companies are considering restrictions and examining existing rules on smart glasses amid worries that the technology, brought to mainstream by Meta’s Ray-Bans, could be used to photograph, film or audio-record confidential ‌materials or people without their knowledge.

Here is a summary of what countries and regions are doing to protect people’s privacy, in alphabetical order.

AUSTRALIA

The federal government said in September it was considering barring the use of camera-equipped smart glasses in government workplaces due to privacy and security concerns.

Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher ⁠asked the country’s Public Service Commission for advice on whether their use should be prohibited and what exemptions might be required.

BRITAIN

Courts in England and Wales have prohibited the use of Meta smart glasses because of restrictions on taking images and videos in courts.

British cinema operators are also introducing policies to prohibit or restrict camera-enabled smart glasses, the UK Cinema Association said in August.

EUROPEAN UNION

Smart glasses have attracted scrutiny from European privacy regulators and some lawmakers, and the European Data Protection Board has ‌commissioned ⁠a report into their “social acceptability”.

Member of the European Parliament Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová also urged the European Commission, which has not proposed legislation specifically targeting smart glasses, to consider possible action.

NORWAY

The government said it planned to propose a temporary ban on the use of AI glasses ⁠in places where the public regularly gather, such as parks, beaches, museums, shopping centres and public events.

Norway’s capital Oslo banned smart glasses in schools in August.

UNITED STATES

New York’s Unified Court ⁠System banned smart glasses from all its court facilities from July 20. The rule covers prescription and non-prescription eyewear or headwear containing cameras, microphones, computers or ⁠other technology capable of recording video or audio.

Visitors carrying them must hand them over to court personnel for safekeeping before entering.

By Agencies