One of the Netherlands’ biggest eyewear retailers has stopped selling Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium as scrutiny grows over the devices’ recording capabilities.
Hans Anders said the suspension follows mounting public and political debate about how camera-equipped glasses should be used, amid similar concerns elsewhere in Europe. UK pub chain Wetherspoon has restricted their use, while Dutch privacy regulator AP has warned that footage showing identifiable people generally cannot be shared without consent.
Consumer group Consumentenbond has threatened legal action against Meta, and online safety organisation Offlimits has called for the glasses to be withdrawn until covert recording can be effectively prevented.
Meta maintains that the devices contain safeguards, including a flashing light that signals when photos or video are being captured and a camera that is disabled if the indicator is covered or tampered with.
