Hans Anders to stop selling camera glasses over privacy concerns

Eyewear chain Hans Anders will stop selling Meta camera glasses following demands from privacy advocates concerned about the so-called “pervert glasses”.

The devices, the most popular version is sold by Meta, look like normal glasses but allow users to film and take photos covertly.

Victim advocacy group Offlimits says it is helping hundreds of women who have been filmed without their consent, many of whom have seen those images distributed online or through social media groups.

“Hiding a camera in an everyday object facilitates transgressive online behaviour,” the organisation’s director Robbert Hoving said in a statement. They are calling on Meta to stop selling the eyewear, and said they would take the tech giant to court if sales were not halted.

Dutch privacy watchdog AP warned last week that sharing images made with camera glasses violates GDPR rules unless permission is given by everyone in the image.

Last month, the consumer watchdog Consumentenbond issued a warning about the glasses, noting that it was possible to manipulate or cover the indicator light to make it even harder to tell images were being captured.

MPs have called for a full ban on the glasses but the cabinet is opposed to a board measure and wants to see other restrictions put into place.

Last week, Instagram removed a video by Roel Maalderink in which the satirical journalist films himself asking the employees of parent company Meta how they feel about the controversial camera glasses.