UK considers restricting smart glasses over secret filming concerns

The UK government is considering restrictions on smart glasses amid concerns the devices are being used to secretly film women and girls, the safeguarding minister has said.

Government response

Speaking in the House of Commons, safeguarding minister Satvir Kaur said the government is looking into options to restrict smart glasses in certain settings and restrict their sale to certain users. She said people who use smart glasses for filming already risk breaking the law in some settings, such as courts where cameras are prohibited.

Kaur said: “The benefits of smart glasses must be weighed against the harms they can cause. The government is already looking into options to restrict smart glasses in certain settings and restricting the sale to certain users.”

She added that NHS England and the Department for Education are examining wearable technology in certain settings, and that “appropriate next steps” are being considered over concerns raised about the use of smart glasses in parliament.

Parliamentary debate

Liberal Democrat MP Anna Sabine, who introduced the debate, said women are reporting waking up after nights out to find videos of themselves have gone viral online, filmed without their knowledge or consent by men wearing smart glasses. She said the devices have the potential to erode safety and privacy in public spaces and raise important questions about consent.

Sabine said one of the selling points of the glasses in advertisements was that they could be used “to film discreetly” and said she did not want parliamentarians to “only regulate once it is too late”.

Benefits and industry response

Kaur said smart glasses, which can come with built-in cameras, microphones and displays, could “be hugely beneficial” to some people, particularly those who are visually impaired, for whom they have been “a gamechanger” in helping them navigate the world around them.

A Meta spokesperson said: “People use our glasses because they’re helpful and let them stay in the moment, from listening to music to live translation or hands-free calls. They were built to be noticed, which is why every pair with a camera has a bright light on the front that blinks when you take a photo or video. It cannot be turned off and the camera is disabled if someone covers or tampers with it.”

Why it matters

The debate follows warnings from MPs that existing harassment laws contain gaps that allow offenders to profit from covert filming without meeting the legal threshold for repeated targeting of a single individual. Greater Manchester Police previously arrested a 27-year-old man from Bradford on suspicion of voyeurism and harassment in connection with reports of women being followed, filmed and harassed in Manchester city centre, but the criminal investigation collapsed due to limits within current legislation.

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Sources

• aol.com: UK government considers smart glasses ban over secret filming concerns - AOL
• mezha.net: UK considers restrictions on smart glasses amid concerns over covert filming
• independent.co.uk: Smart glasses could face UK restrictions over secret filming of women and girls | The Independent
• aol.co.uk: UK government considers smart glasses ban over secret filming concerns - AOL

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.