{
  "id": 12157491,
  "title": "Dutch retailer Hans Anders halts sales of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses over privacy concerns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/dutch-retailer-hans-anders-halts-sales-of-meta-ray-ban-smart-glasses",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-05T13:16:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechRadar",
    "slug": "techradar",
    "url": "https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/dutch-eyewear-giant-becomes-first-retailer-to-halt-meta-ray-ban-sales-hans-anders-pulls-smart-glasses-from-400-stores-due-to-questions-being-raised-about-the-tech"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dutch retailer Hans Anders has ceased sales of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses due to concerns over privacy. The decision comes amid public and political debate about the use of smart glasses in public spaces. Dutch consumer rights group Consumentenbond has threatened to take Meta to court if it fails to comply with privacy laws. Hans Anders, part of the nexeye retail group, has 776 stores in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Sweden, though the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses are not sold in Germany, Austria, and Sweden. The use of smart glasses has raised concerns about safety and privacy, with Meta's glasses reportedly capturing footage of hundreds of Dutch women without their consent. The Dutch Data Protection Authority warned that photos and video footage of identifiable individuals taken using smart glasses cannot be shared without permission. Despite the blinking light on the front of Meta's smart glasses that indicates when a photo or video is taken, users can still cover the light to hide their actions. Retailers are joining the fight to protect consumer privacy and wellbeing, with the UK also taking measures to prevent smart glasses from being used in public spaces.",
  "summary": "The eyewear retailer has pulled the smart glasses from stores following growing concerns over the public use of the tech.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}