Dutch eyewear retailer Hans Anders has suspended sales of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium amid growing concerns over privacy and the potential for covert recording.
The decision comes as public and political scrutiny intensifies over camera-equipped glasses and how recordings of people can be made and used without their knowledge. Hans Anders said the suspension followed the wider debate over the conditions under which the technology should be used.
The Dutch privacy regulator has warned that videos showing identifiable people generally cannot be shared or published without their permission, which can be difficult to obtain in public places.
Consumer group Consumentenbond has also threatened legal action unless changes are made to ensure the glasses comply with privacy requirements. Advocacy group Offlimits has called for the devices to be removed from sale until safeguards against covert recording are strengthened.
Meta maintains that its glasses have a visible light that flashes when the camera is recording and cannot be switched off. The company also says the camera is disabled if the recording indicator is covered or tampered with.
Hans Anders is part of Nexeye, which operates 776 stores across five European countries. The Meta glasses were sold only in its Dutch and Belgian stores.
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