Dutch eyewear giant becomes first retailer to stop sales of Meta Ray-ban: Hans Anders removes smart glasses from 400 stores as ‘questions arise’ about the technology
- Glasses retailer Hans Anders has stopped sales of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses
- The decision comes amid growing concerns about public use of the technology.
- Dutch consumer rights group Consumentenbond has said it will take Meta to court if it does not comply with the law.
The crackdown on privacy-threatening “kink glasses” continues, with Dutch eyewear retailer Hans Anders indefinitely removing Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses from its online and high street stores in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Hans Anders is part of the nexeye retail group, which operates more than 400 stores in those two countries alone. Combined with its stores in Germany, Austria and Sweden, it has 776 stores in total, although Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses are not sold in the latter three regions.
The use of smart glasses has sparked heated debate over whether these devices should be in public spaces, raising concerns about overall security and privacy. Speaking to Reuters, a Hans Anders spokesperson detailed the company’s decision to take this bold step and shared the following:
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“This decision follows ongoing public and political debate around smart glasses and questions being raised about the conditions under which this technology can be used.”
One of the biggest areas of concern is women’s privacy. According to a report from the NL Times, Meta’s smart glasses have been used to capture images of “hundreds, perhaps thousands” of Dutch women without their consent over the past few months. The outlet says the images have been shared on messaging apps like Telegram, as well as other harmful online sites.
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The move follows a recent warning issued by the Dutch Data Protection Authority (PA), which said that photos and video footage of identifiable people taken with smart glasses cannot be shared without the person’s permission, although this is something that is clearly difficult to control in public spaces.
That is not the only organization that decided to take an active stance against Meta. Earlier this week, Consumentenbond, a consumer rights group, stated that it will take Meta to court if the tech giant does not modify its smart glasses to comply with privacy laws. That said, Meta says it is always developing its smart glasses:
“Each camera pair has a bright light on the front that flashes when you take a photo or video; it can’t be turned off and the camera is disabled if someone covers it or tampers with it,” a Meta spokesperson said. Despite this indicator, there is nothing to prevent users from covering the light to prevent others from knowing if they are being filmed.
As far as retailers are concerned, Hans Anders is one of the first to hold a public protest against smart glasses, joining the fight to protect the privacy and well-being of consumers. The Netherlands’ fight against these devices is just beginning, and other nations have expressed similar concerns.
The UK is also taking similar steps to ensure public spaces are free from the looming threat of smart glasses. Popular pub chain Wetherspoons has banned the use of smart glasses in its pubs across the country, while the UK Cinema Association says cinemas could also introduce similar restrictions on smart glasses to prevent piracy and even stop users from live streaming movies to social media platforms.
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