3 weeks ago
German watchdog files criminal complaint against Meta over AI glasses
A group in Germany called HateAid is worried about special glasses that can secretly take photos and videos.
These glasses are called Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer smart glasses, and they are made by a big technology company called Meta.
HateAid says someone wearing them could film other people without anybody knowing.
In Germany, there is a law that protects people from being filmed secretly.
HateAid thinks selling these glasses breaks that law, so the group made an official complaint to a digital-crime office in Frankfurt.
The complaint is about Meta, the glasses makers, and the shops that sell the glasses.
Mister Spex, one of the shops, said it had not heard about the complaint and that it takes privacy very seriously.
Germany's communications agency said the glasses are not banned as long as it is clearly visible when they record.
HateAid says secret filming can hurt people, especially women, and that is why it wants the glasses stopped.
German digital rights group HateAid has filed a criminal complaint against Meta and other companies selling its AI glasses in Germany.
The complaint targets Meta's management, EssilorLuxottica units including Ray-Ban, and retailers Fielmann, Apollo-Optik, Mister Spex and MediaMarkt.
HateAid says the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer violates a federal German law banning the sale of communication devices designed to film people without them noticing.
Germany's Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) says it is closely monitoring the smart glasses market but is not formally investigating any breaches, noting sale is not banned while recording is clearly visible.
HateAid says it has been registering increasing image-based digital violence, mainly targeting women, made easier by inconspicuous smart glasses.
- Who
- HateAid, a German digital rights group led by managing director Josephine Ballon, filed the complaint against Meta's management, EssilorLuxottica units including Ray-Ban, and retailers Fielmann, Apollo-Optik, Mister Spex and MediaMarkt.
- What
- A criminal complaint alleging that AI smart glasses such as the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer violate German digital privacy law by enabling covert recording.
- Where
- Germany; the complaint was filed with the Frankfurt-based digital crime prosecution unit ZIT.
- When
- Announced in a HateAid statement on Wednesday; no specific date given in the articles.
- Why
- HateAid says the devices break a federal digital data protection law banning communication devices designed to film people unnoticed, and that image-based digital violence, mainly targeting women, is increasing.
Privacy advocates
Retailers and regulators
Legality of selling smart glasses
Privacy advocates
HateAid argues the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer is a communication device designed to film people without them noticing, so selling it breaks German digital privacy law and must be stopped.
Retailers and regulators
BNetzA says ownership, import or sale of smart glasses is not banned as long as the recording function is clearly visible, for instance via an optical signal, and it is not formally investigating any breaches.
Threat of undisclosed surveillance
Privacy advocates
There is no place to escape from smart glasses; they disguise inconspicuous surveillance as an everyday object and fuel image-based digital violence, mainly against women.
Retailers and regulators
Mister Spex says it had not been officially notified of a complaint and is taking protection of privacy very seriously, while the other targeted retailers did not immediately respond.
Key facts
- Complainant
- HateAid, German digital rights group
- Targeted companies
- Meta management; EssilorLuxottica units including Ray-Ban; retailers Fielmann, Apollo-Optik, Mister Spex, MediaMarkt
- Device in question
- Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer smart glasses
- Legal basis
- Federal German digital data protection law banning sale of communication devices designed to film people covertly
- Filed with
- ZIT, Frankfurt-based digital crime prosecution unit
- Regulator stance
- BNetzA closely monitoring the smart glasses market; not formally investigating any breaches
- Mister Spex response
- Not officially notified of the complaint; takes privacy protection very seriously
- Prior state action
- SWR reported in July that a Hamburg-based state privacy agency was taking legal steps over smart glasses use
Quotes
Spokesperson for the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA)
Official of Germany's digital communications regulator
“"The ownership, import or sale of smart glasses are not banned ... for as long as the recording function is clearly visible, for instance via an optical signal."”
telegraphindia.com
“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.”
firstpost.com
Josephine Ballon
Managing director of HateAid, a German digital rights 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."”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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