Organizations threaten lawsuit to halt sales of Meta smart glasses

AMSTERDAM — Several organizations in the Netherlands are demanding that Meta stop selling its smart camera glasses. If the company does not comply within two weeks, they say they will launch legal action.

The demand comes from the Dutch Consumers’ Association, support organization Offlimits and activist group The Firewall, which campaigns against the power of Big Tech.

Offlimits, which assists victims of online abuse, says it has already received initial reports from people who say they were harassed or secretly filmed in public using such glasses. The organization argues that this is sufficient reason to stop sales.

Camera glasses have come under growing scrutiny, particularly because they increasingly resemble ordinary eyewear, making it difficult for bystanders to realize they may be filmed.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority recently warned that photos and videos made with camera glasses cannot simply be published without regard to privacy rules.

Meta’s glasses, including models developed with Ray-Ban and Oakley, are currently among the most popular. Samsung, Google and reportedly Apple are also working on similar technology.