Dutch Chain Halts Sales of Meta's Ray-Ban Smart Glasses

Dutch eyewear chain Hans Anders has stopped selling Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium due to privacy concerns. The decision was made after a public debate and warnings from the Dutch data protection authority.

The Dutch data protection authority had warned smart glasses users that they generally may not share videos of identifiable people without permission. This warning came after reports of strangers filming people, especially women, in public without their knowledge.

Hans Anders is not the only retailer to pause sales of the smart glasses. Dutch online retailer Wehkamp has also stopped selling the glasses. The parent company of Hans Anders, Nexeye, runs 776 stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Sweden, but has only stopped sales in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Consumer group Consumentenbond has threatened to take Meta to court unless the glasses comply with privacy law. The group has raised concerns about the glasses' ability to record videos without the knowledge of those being filmed. Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses have a bright light that blinks when recording, but this light cannot be turned off by the user.

The Dutch government has received six reports and one complaint about the smart glasses, according to state secretary for justice Claudia van Bruggen. The European Data Protection Board is also set to release a report on the glasses later this year.

## Why it matters The halt in sales of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium is a significant development in the ongoing debate about the use of smart glasses and their impact on privacy. The decision by Hans Anders and Wehkamp to stop selling the glasses highlights the growing concerns about the potential for these devices to be used to film people without their knowledge or consent.

The incident also raises questions about the responsibility of tech companies to ensure that their products comply with privacy laws and regulations. As the use of smart glasses and other wearable devices becomes more widespread, it is likely that we will see more debates and controversies about their impact on privacy and society as a whole.

## What happens next The European Data Protection Board's report on the glasses, which is set to be released later this year, will likely provide more guidance on the use of smart glasses and their compliance with privacy laws. In the meantime, Meta and other tech companies will need to address the concerns raised by consumer groups and regulators about the potential for their products to be used to infringe on people's privacy.

The decision by Hans Anders and Wehkamp to stop selling the glasses is a significant blow to Meta's efforts to promote its smart glasses in Europe. The company will need to work to address the concerns raised by regulators and consumer groups if it is to succeed in selling its products in the region.