German Advocacy Group Lodges Criminal Complaint Over Meta AI Glasses

A German digital-rights group called HateAid has filed a criminal complaint against Meta, EssilorLuxottica - the parent company of Ray-Ban - and several retailers over the Meta AI smart glasses. The complaint alleges that the devices could enable covert recording in violation of German privacy law. Prosecutors have started a preliminary review of the complaint.

According to Reuters, HateAid's managing director, Josephine Ballon, warned that there is "no place to escape from smart glasses" and that people should expect to be filmed and exposed on the internet at any moment. The complaint was filed with the Frankfurt-based digital crime prosecution unit ZIT, which stated it would investigate the matter on a preliminary basis.

Retailers Fielmann, Apollo-Optik, Mister Spex, and MediaMarkt have all been notified of the complaint. MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group stated they were taking the complaint seriously, adding that their suppliers had contractual obligations to ensure all goods complied with German law. Mister Spex said it had not been formally notified of the complaint, but emphasized its commitment to protecting privacy.