Paris prosecutors have opened multiple inquiries after complaints that women were secretly filmed in public using smart glasses. Campaign groups such as e-Enfance say clips recorded with camera-equipped eyewear are being shared online, exposing victims to abuse and threats. French authorities noted penalties of up to two years' imprisonment and a €45,000 fine, and said cybercrime investigators tested devices for related offences, including potential cryptocurrency theft. Meta, whose Ray-Ban collaboration sold seven million pairs in 2025, says it has added safeguards such as a recording indicator.
Secret Recordings With Smart Glasses Spark Paris Probes and Calls for Bans
Paris prosecutors said they had received 'complaints relating to violations of privacy linked to the use of smart glasses' (Manaure Quintero)
Paris prosecutors said on Tuesday they have opened multiple inquiries after complaints that women walking in public were secretly filmed with smart glasses without their consent. Authorities said the complaints relate to violations of privacy linked to camera-equipped eyewear and that some cases have led to sexual-assault investigations when non-consensual contact occurred.
Smart glasses can capture photos and videos, play music, make calls, translate text and interact with AI assistants. Meta's Ray-Ban collaboration sold seven million pairs in 2025, and other companies, including Google and Snap, are preparing AI-enabled eyewear for market release.
The Paris public prosecutor's office flagged a "growing trend on social media involving women being filmed on the street with smart glasses without their consent and the videos being published online." Under French law, the offence can carry up to two years in prison and a fine of €45,000 ($51,000).
e-Enfance, the organisation that runs France's national hotline for victims of online abuse, reported about 20 hotline complaints by Sept. 8, most involving Meta glasses. The association described a recurring pattern: content creators approach young women or girls in public, discreetly film them to provoke a reaction or create embarrassment, and then post the footage on social platforms — often TikTok — exposing victims to ridicule, misogynistic abuse and threats.
'Humiliating Strangers'
"We need to strengthen oversight of these devices from the design stage," said Veronique Bechu of e-Enfance. "When creators make a business model out of humiliating strangers, platforms must adopt a zero-tolerance approach and suspend repeat offenders."
The Paris prosecutor's cybercrime division said it tested smart glasses in September to identify other possible cybercrime offences. Investigators warned that misuse could extend beyond privacy violations to technical attacks, including attempts to obtain a cryptocurrency wallet's recovery phrase and steal funds.
Meta says it has implemented measures intended to deter tampering with a blinking LED that signals when recording is taking place. Still, campaigners and officials are calling for stronger design safeguards, clearer platform enforcement policies and faster investigative responses to protect bystanders while balancing legitimate consumer uses of the technology.
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