Paris Prosecutors Probe Smart Glasses for Sexual Harassment

Paris prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into suspected sexual harassment involving the use of smart glasses to discreetly film women on the street and post the footage online. This legal action coincides with a surge in AI-enabled glasses, a market dominated by Meta Platforms Inc. and EssilorLuxottica, which together hold a 76 percent global market share.

Regulatory and corporate scrutiny is expanding across Europe and Australia. France's data protection authority, the National Commission on Informatics and Liberty, reports that businesses are seeking guidance on implementing workplace bans following complaints about the devices. In Germany, a consumer advocacy group has filed a criminal complaint against Meta, while some cinemas in the United Kingdom have already banned the hardware.

The Australian government is currently considering a ban on camera-equipped smart glasses within government workplaces. While Meta maintains that privacy was integrated into the devices from the start, rights groups argue that the small indicator lights on the frames are insufficient to ensure consent or prevent abuse.