Stories
EU Data Watchdog Demands Clear Recording Warnings for Smart Glasses
- •The European Data Protection Board stated that smart glasses raise serious privacy concerns because individuals can be recorded without their knowledge.
- •The watchdog recommended that manufacturers and users ensure devices make recording obvious using bright LED lights, audio signals, or voice activation cues.
- •EDPB highlighted heightened privacy risks in sensitive environments such as schools, hospitals, and public beaches, particularly concerning vulnerable children.
- •Meta's Ray-Ban smart spectacles currently feature a blinking LED light when recording, while other tech giants like Google and Snap prepare to launch similar wearable devices.
- •Growing backlash across Europe includes Norway proposing a temporary public ban, Oslo banning camera glasses in schools, and a UK petition surpassing 10,000 signatures.
Key Questions Answered
The European Data Protection Board stated that smart glasses should provide clear, reliable, and hard-to-ignore warnings when recording, such as bright LED lights, audio signals, voice activation cues, or unique designs, to address serious privacy concerns.
Norway's government proposed a temporary ban on smart glasses in public spaces and schools, France's e-Enfance raised alarms over online abuse, and a UK-Ireland petition campaign gathered over 10,000 signatures requiring a government response.
Smart glasses look like ordinary glasses while containing internet-connected cameras and microphones, raising risks of covert recording in sensitive environments like schools and hospitals, as well as public spots like beaches, particularly impacting vulnerable children.
