The UK government is considering a smart glasses ban
Perv specs — It comes as concerns have been raised over their ability to film video covertly, with a number of women discovering videos of themselves circulating online that were allegedly filmed with the technology.
The UK government is considering restricting the sale and use of smart glasses amid growing concerns that the devices are being used to film women without their knowledge or consent.
Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, safeguarding minister Satvir Kaur said ministers were exploring restrictions on their use in certain settings, as well as limiting sales to particular users.
“The benefits of smart glasses must be weighed against the harms they can cause,” Kaur told MPs, adding that the government’s work was “happening at pace”.
The debate was prompted by Liberal Democrat MP Anna Sabine, who raised reports of women discovering videos of themselves circulating online after nights out, allegedly recorded by men wearing the glasses.
Sabine warned that the technology was eroding privacy in public spaces, particularly given that some advertisements promote the devices’ ability to “film discreetly”. “I don’t want us to only regulate once it is too late,” she said.
The concerns echo a growing backlash against Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses. In September, London guerrilla campaign group Everyone Hates Elon launched a series of Underground sticker interventions branding the devices “pervert glasses” and warning about their potential for covert filming.
The group told Huck that the technology was already being used to abuse women, citing the arrest of a gynaecologist in Brazil accused of using smart glasses to record a patient during an examination.
Meta has defended its products, saying its camera-equipped glasses are designed to make recording visible. A spokesperson told the Guardian that every pair with a camera has a bright indicator light that flashes when a photo or video is taken. “It cannot be turned off,” they said, adding that the camera is disabled if someone covers or tampers with the light.
Kaur acknowledged that the technology can have legitimate uses, including helping visually impaired people navigate their surroundings. But she confirmed that the government was also examining its use in healthcare, education and on the parliamentary estate, where filming is already restricted in certain areas.
Ella Glossop is Huck’s social editor. Follow her on Bluesky.
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