Urgent calls for privacy regulation threaten to spoil the smartglasses party

Meta continues to see success with its Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses. Google and Samsung have trumpeted the impending arrival of its “intelligent eyewear” rival products, and Snapchat is hard at work on its, still quite secret, alternative.

However, government officials are becoming increasingly concerned about privacy and regulation, and it may have a serious effect on camera-equipped smartglasses in the future.

Deeply problematic

I will speak to the point about smart glasses. They are really creepy. The glasses are deeply problematic and intrusive.

This is according to Olga Cronin, a senior policy officer for Enforce, a unit within the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations (INCLO) that investigates and protects human rights in the tech industry.

The response came to a question raised by Senator Laura Harmon, a Labour councilor in Cork, Ireland, during a committee meeting on artificial intelligence which took place on May 19.

Harmon was raising concerns over the technology, after several local incidents highlighted ongoing privacy worries related to the camera built into the Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses.

In a subsequent debate, Harmon said smartglasses and the ability to record someone without consent needs more regulation.

Urgent review

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Harmon explained why:

I raised the issue of non-consensual filming and privacy around rapidly changing technology after hearing reports this week in Cork that women have been filmed in their workplaces and during medical emergencies.

The article goes into more detail about a specific local TikTok content creator using Ray-Ban Meta to record people without consent, and harass businesses. Harmon continued, saying:

While smart glasses have important uses in aiding those with vision loss and similar conditions, it is vital that we regulate the use of AI glasses for recreational filming to protect privacy in Ireland.

Another councilor has submitted a request for an urgent review of the regulations around smartglasses with cameras, referred to as “wearable surveillance technology,” to various bodies, including the European Union.

Local worries, for now

While the calls for regulation are at a specific, local level here, it’s far from the first time officials have raised concerns over privacy related to smartglasses with a video recording feature.

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It’s also not the first time a few irresponsible owners have threatened to ruin what can be a fun experience for the majority.

However, as more big name brands — from Samsung to Gucci — push to release smartglasses which use cameras to enhance the AI functionality, it’s becoming increasingly likely they’ll have to come up with additional safeguards to avoid strict regulation, if calls from local councils gain traction at a higher level.