German human rights nonprofit HateAid has filed a criminal complaint against Meta, alleging that its smart glasses breach German privacy law because their cameras can record people discreetly. The complaint also names Meta’s eyewear partners Ray-Ban and Oakley, plus retailers, and seeks restrictions on recording locations similar to those applied to dashcams and body cameras.

Meta says its glasses include privacy safeguards, including a recording LED and software intended to prevent use if the light is covered. However, accessories can reportedly obscure the LED, while concerns also centre on bystanders who have not consented to recording and on AI features that send visual information to Meta for processing; contractors have reportedly encountered sensitive footage during AI annotation.