Hans Anders halts Meta Ray-Ban glasses sales over privacy concerns

Dutch eyewear retailer Hans Anders has halted sales of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses in its online and physical stores in Belgium and the Netherlands indefinitely, according to TechRadar. The company cited ongoing public and political debate about the technology and questions about the conditions in which it can be used.

Hans Anders is part of nexeye, which operates 776 stores across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Sweden. The smart glasses are not sold in Germany, Austria or Sweden, the report says.

Privacy concerns include reports that footage captured with the glasses showed hundreds, possibly thousands, of Dutch women without their consent in recent months. TechRadar attributes that figure to NL Times, which reported that footage was shared on Telegram and other online sites.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority has warned that photos and videos of identifiable people taken with smart glasses cannot be shared without their permission. Consumer group Consumentenbond has also said it will take Meta to court if the company does not change the glasses to comply with privacy laws.

A Meta spokesperson said each pair with a camera has a front light that blinks when taking a photo or video, cannot be turned off, and is disabled if covered or tampered with. TechRadar notes that users could cover the light. In the UK, pub chain Wetherspoons has banned smart glasses in its pubs, while the UK Cinema Association says theaters could consider restrictions.