Hans Anders has stopped selling Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium, making it one of the first retailers to drop the product over privacy concerns.
Here's what to know
As one of the Netherlands' largest eyewear chains, Hans Anders' decision adds retail pressure to a debate that had already been building among regulators, consumer advocates, and the public. Concerns about camera-equipped eyewear are now starting to affect where consumers can buy the devices.
In the words of a company spokesperson, "This decision follows the ongoing public and political debate surrounding smart glasses and the questions being raised about the conditions under which this technology can be used."
One trigger for the growing Dutch scrutiny was a warning from privacy regulator AP that recordings from smart glasses showing identifiable people generally cannot be shared or published unless those people have given consent — something that is difficult to secure in a public place.
Consumentenbond, a Dutch consumer rights group, has also escalated the dispute, saying it will sue Meta unless the company changes the glasses to comply with privacy law.
More background
Opposition to the glasses has spread beyond the Netherlands and Belgium. In Britain, pub chain Wetherspoons restricted use of Meta's glasses over concerns about covert recording.
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In the United States, Meta and Luxottica face lawsuits alleging that human annotators reviewed videos captured through the glasses without the filmed people's knowledge.
A phone held up to record is obvious, but a pair of glasses is far less noticeable. That creates concerns for bystanders in stores, restaurants, transit stations, and other public places where consent is already difficult to manage.
What's being done?
The chain is opting not to continue selling the glasses while the legal and political questions remain unresolved.
Meta says the glasses already include built-in safeguards. A Meta spokesperson said, "Every pair with a camera has a bright light on the front that blinks when you take a photo or video - it can't be turned off, and the camera is disabled if someone covers or tampers with it."
Where can I learn more?
Here are more stories on the global debate over Meta's smart glasses, including facial-recognition concerns, worker complaints, public backlash, product limits, and fights over surveillance policy.
• Meta's privacy troubles deepened as smart glasses can identify strangers in real time.
• Workers at Meta said they "see everything" as the company pushed the glasses.
• Some Meta owners now leave the "pervert glasses" at home after covert-recording backlash.
• Meta angered buyers by putting hearing boost behind a paywall on Ray-Ban glasses.
• Lawmakers in Pennsylvania are pushing to ban AI surveillance pricing for consumers.
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