Meta AI glasses hit with criminal complaint from German advocacy group
“There’s no place to escape from smart glasses. You have to expect at any moment to be filmed and then exposed on the internet,” said HateAid managing director Josephine Ballon
A German advocacy group, HateAid, has filed a criminal complaint against Meta and other companies selling their AI glasses in Germany, alleging violations of privacy laws. The complaint centers on the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer glasses, which HateAid claims contravene federal digital data protection laws prohibiting the sale of communication devices designed to film people without their knowledge.
Josephine Ballon, HateAid's managing director, warned that smart glasses render privacy "irrelevant," as users can be filmed and exposed online at any moment.
HateAid reported the complaint to the Frankfurt-based digital crime prosecution unit ZIT, which confirmed receipt and said it would investigate preliminarily for grounds for further probing. MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group, one of the companies named in the complaint, stated it was taking the matter seriously, noting suppliers had contractual obligations to ensure product compliance with the law.
Mister Spex, another named company, claimed it had not been formally notified of the complaint and emphasized its commitment to protecting privacy.
The Federal Network Agency previously warned against covert audio or video recording devices, including smart glasses, in late 2023, stating the ownership, import, or sale of such devices is not banned as long as the recording function is visible. A Hamburg-based privacy protection agency is also investigating the use of smart glasses. HateAid highlighted an increase in image-based digital violence, particularly against women, and warned that smart glasses enable surreptitious surveillance disguised as everyday objects.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
