Should smart glasses (Meta Glasses) be banned?

Try being registered blind and you certainly won’t think they should be banned. Struggle to shop without them.

Cossy

These specs, whilst being used covertly and in awful ways, are also used in other positive ways too, particularly in the arts industries.

Recording devices generally are, and have been for many many years, very tiny and discrete and some are the size of a very small badge or brooch and could easily been worn on a jacket, jumper or coat to covertly record people inside and outside without their knowledge.

Version of these glasses are being developed for the blind, to tell them in real-time about their surroundings.

It’s people who are the problem, not the technology.

People (us) - I've always thought we need a degree of protection from our worst impulses as individuals.
So things like this glasses - yes , I think they should be banned - after all you can't ban "people".
They sound like a great tool for visually impaired people - so why can't they be dispensed at a cost from opticians, for visually impaired people?

No, absolutely not. They are very useful for visually impaired people. The glasses can read out labels, menus, describe their surroundings, tell them what colour shirt they are about to put on.

Meta has a service called Be My Eyes that connects visually impaired people with sighted volunteers. My friend uses this. If he is out and about he can be connected with a sighted volunteer (who could be anywhere in the world). The volunteer sees a video feed from the camera in the glasses. They can read street signs, describe his environment, look for a particular place. It gives him a lot more confidence to be going places on his own.

Yes ban these glasses. Please!
Not the best creation!

Should smart glasses (Meta Glasses) be banned?

Yes. They are creepy and so are the creeps who used them

I’m really really missing the point, sorry, but what do perverts get from filming people shopping? Why don’t they just sit in a cafe and watch everything?

I don't want a pair but I am not sure I want them banned either. Yes, perverts might get a pair but they will find a way to get what they want anyway and I am averse to a ban when people who can use them as intended are penalised.

I don't mean to be insensitive but perhaps we are a little over the top.I am sure there are people who abuse women and girls but once aware as we now are perhaps be more aware and protect ourselves.If i have upset anybody apologies

They come in various colours. Mine are a mottled grey and have transitional lenses so they double as sunglasses. The frames are slightly thicker than standard glasses and are suited to people who wear larger type frames. They cost around £300 plus lenses, from my optician. They are now available at different suppliers at a much reduced rate, probably due to the adverse press.

I’ve never seen anyone wear these glasses. Do they look like the ones Roy Obison used to wear? Only clear!
I would imagine that they are super expensive for the average person.

I am 70 years old and very hard of hearing, even when wearing an aid. I bought a pair of Meta Ray ban glasses and they are the best thing I have ever bought. I can pair them to my mobile phone so that when I take a call I can just tap the arm of the glasses and answer it without rummaging in my handbag. I can hear perfectly well without the background noises that I usually hear. When I am driving, I can ask Meta to ring my husband, hands free with phone safely in my bag. This morning I asked them to remind me to do something at 3pm this afternoon. I can ask that I can play the radio. I spent some time in New Forest last week and I was able to instantly film the animals I saw, including a red squirrel which would have disappeared had I had taken time to open my phone. If there was an incident of road rage for example, I could ask Meta to film in case things escalate. There is a light on the front of the frame that indicates when filming. The pictures and videos are automatically sent to my mobile phone and saved. The list goes on and I would be sorry to lose them. I don't mind if they cancel the camera function, but I won't be rushing out to buy a pair without it as they are not cheap enough to discard. It's a shame that people who exploit their uses, spoil everything for others, for whom this technology has such benefits.

The glasses have a red light on the front when filming . However to people who aren’t aware of these glasses , it’s not obvious.
In Dentistry there has been issues with patients wanting to film their treatment and the clinician . Which throws up issues like confidentiality and consent .

Filming people/ taking photos in public places isnt illegal though so am not sure how this is any different.

MT62

I think there should be some kind of license for them.
Also I don’t think you should be able to film people in public spaces.
I helped a lady once in a store who had fallen on an escalator. Poor thing had cut her shin badly.
Not one person rushed to help but had their phones out.
They Got short shrift from from me, rather than standing there filming they could at least ring for an ambulance I said 🙄

I absolutely cannot understand this mentality.

Fallingstar

Banning them may not be possible or indeed acceptable seeing as these glasses do serve a very real purpose to those with vision impairment etc.
But it should be more apparent when the wearer is filming, right now is not obvious. I suggest the glasses light up and flash very visibly whenever the wearer is filming. Or a loud buzzing should be heard.

Flashing would work, but buzzing would corrupt the filming and these are used quite legitimately by many people.

I think filming in public, without consent, should be an offence.

Banning them may not be possible or indeed acceptable seeing as these glasses do serve a very real purpose to those with vision impairment etc.
But it should be more apparent when the wearer is filming, right now is not obvious. I suggest the glasses light up and flash very visibly whenever the wearer is filming. Or a loud buzzing should be heard.

I think there should be some kind of license for them.
Also I don’t think you should be able to film people in public spaces.
I helped a lady once in a store who had fallen on an escalator. Poor thing had cut her shin badly.
Not one person rushed to help but had their phones out.
They Got short shrift from from me, rather than standing there filming they could at least ring for an ambulance I said 🙄

Luckygirl3

My blind friend would love a pair - the glasses could tell him what is in front of him.

And here lies a problem.
BBC London News had an interview with a blind man who has a pair which give him a view of where he is. They look exactly like the ones that can film people. He has had such abuse because people make assumptions so he no longer wears them.

My blind friend would love a pair - the glasses could tell him what is in front of him.

Aren't they already banned in some countries?

When I first read about them, my thoughts were, there's more than a whiff of creepy undertones about such a gadget. Great potential for the voyeur not so great for whoever they may have in their sights. I'm sure, since their launch they're being used for dubious purposes.

If you want to stop “perverts” filming then you’ll have to confiscate and ban every known type of camera, recording equipment, the internet and any computer equipment with screens and sound.

We live in an awful world, with awful people in it, all we can do is safeguard our children, be extremely aware that we live in world where people exploit virtually everything and lobby our MPs for much tougher penalties for perpetrators and look at new legislation to protect the general public.

Harsh as I may seem, I have little sympathy for any actor allowing reactions to stupid people goading him, he should have ignored them or walked away.

It doesn’t in any way excuse those goading and filming him and it isn’t right, but those in professions which make themselves famous are only too aware that this kind of behaviour in public is sadly to be expected.

It doesn’t make it right, and I wouldn’t like it. But I’m a realist.

These specs, whilst being used covertly and in awful ways, are also used in other positive ways too, particularly in the arts industries.

Recording devices generally are, and have been for many many years, very tiny and discrete and some are the size of a very small badge or brooch and could easily been worn on a jacket, jumper or coat to covertly record people inside and outside without their knowledge.

Version of these glasses are being developed for the blind, to tell them in real-time about their surroundings.

It’s people who are the problem, not the technology.

Considering we ( the government) can’t stop Meta from harming children I don’t hold out much hope for stopping these pervert specks 🤬

This has the potential to be the worst kind of invasion of privacy. The world is going to hell on a handcart.