Privacy campaigners to ask court to ban sale of Meta AI glasses

Two Dutch privacy organisations are seeking an injunction against Meta to ban sales of the company’s AI glasses in the Netherlands.

Offlimits and The Firewall argue that the devices, which allow users to film and record scenes that they are viewing through the lenses, breach Dutch criminal laws that protect people from being photographed and filmed without their consent.

Lawyers wrote to Meta two weeks ago demanding they withdraw the glasses from sale in the Netherlands or face legal action, but the deadline passed without a response from the company.

“Offlimits and The Firewall are demanding, by means of this letter of formal notice, that the sale of the Meta glasses in the Netherlands cease,” they wrote.

Several thousand pairs of AI glasses have been bought by Dutch customers since opticians started selling them a year ago, while worldwide more than seven million pairs have been sold.

Several music venues in the Netherlands have banned the devices after a man was caught filming women near the toilets at a festival in August. Campaigners say it is one example of how the glasses have been used to film people secretly in intimate settings such as toilets, changing rooms and sex clubs.

They also raised concerns about the potential for the devices to be used to film young children in sports halls, playgrounds or nurseries.

Drawing a line

“We are drawing a line,” Robbert Hoving, managing director of Offlimits, said. “Hiding a camera in an everyday accessory encourages online behaviour that breaches personal boundaries. Victims of these glasses are already contacting our helpline.”

Offlimits, which campaigns against online abuse and exploitation, especially of children, said it was concerned that the glasses capture images of people who are unaware they are being filmed, including minors.

Although the glasses have an LED light to show when the camera is operating, it is not always clear or visible, the lawyers wrote. “Furthermore, the LED light can easily be covered up, making it invisible to anyone,” they said.

They also pointed out that the footage is stored by Meta and used to train its AI systems, which they argue is also an offence under Dutch law. “Meta gains access to the recordings made with the Meta glasses, even when people appear in the footage who have not given their consent.”

The organisations hope the court will announce a date for a hearing by the end of the week. Dutch News has reached out to Meta for comment.