Could the UK actually ban Meta AI 'pervert glasses' for good?
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Pubs, restaurants, theatres, private clubs, and courtrooms — these are the venues where Meta’s nicknamed "pervert glasses" have already been banned across the UK. But could a wider blockade be soon to follow?
First landing on the British market in October 2023, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have been facing a growing backlash across the country. The force behind it isn't tech skepticism, but a privacy crisis driven by non-consensual public recording, voyeurism, and third-party data processing.
With activist groups hacking London billboards, venue bans and calls for a complete Meta glasses sales embargo, the public is now viewing these AI spectacles as 'surveillance tech' tools rather than fun futuristic accessories. There may, eventually, be an appetite for a nationwide prohibition of these kinds of smart glasses both in public spaces as well as private ones.
But could a statutory ban on Meta AI glasses even be a legally feasible option for UK lawmakers? And is it really what’s needed to clamp down on misuse and protect the public’s privacy?
The smart glasses market isn’t exclusive to Meta, nor any intelligent eyewear with a built-in camera. Zuckerberg’s wearables are, however, the best known and the most controversial — and for several reasons.
While other smart glasses are visually bulky and obvious, a pair of Ray-Ban Metas look like regular specs. That’s despite their frames coming packed with dual cameras, open-ear speakers, a microphone, and touch controls.
Meta glasses are designed for hands-free control. Users simply say "Hey Meta" to activate the built-in AI — and allow them to directly stream audio, record photos, videos, and broadcast live to social media.
This last set of skills is the one that’s of particular concern. Women have increasingly reported being secretly filmed, with the footage often ending up online without their consent.
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Meta points out that the glasses come with an LED light that activates every time someone is recording or taking a photo. But the LED's small size has cast doubts as to whether it’s enough for people to realise they're being taped. Plus, some users have already found ways to deactivate it — something that prompted the company to release an emergency patch last July.
There's also the problem of how Meta may process this sensitive data. We should not forget, in fact, that Meta is the most data-hungry company there is — a record recently confirmed by the latest study from VPN service provider Surfshark.
Worse still, Meta explicitly states on its website that "all photos processed with AI are stored and used to improve Meta products, and will be used to train Meta’s AI with help from trained reviewers."
So, without even consenting, you might have been posted online for millions to view while Meta potentially profits from your image, your voice and your behaviour and, to some degree, duplicates parts of your identity.
