Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are at the centre of a growing global debate over AI wearables, privacy and covert recording. The glasses combine cameras, microphones and Meta AI with a conventional eyewear design, raising concerns that people nearby may not realise when they are being recorded.

The issue has now reached the regulatory level. Norway announced plans on October 5 to introduce a temporary ban on AI-equipped glasses in certain public places, citing concerns that people could be photographed, filmed or recorded without their knowledge. The proposed restrictions are expected to cover privacy-sensitive environments and public locations, while Norway also plans to establish an expert group to examine longer-term rules for wearable technology.

The move adds to an expanding international debate over smart glasses privacy and surveillance technology.

The backlash is not limited to governments. Dutch eyewear retailer Hans Anders suspended sales of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium following growing privacy concerns.

Dutch privacy authorities and consumer groups have questioned whether people can reasonably recognise when the glasses are recording and whether recordings containing identifiable individuals can be legally shared without consent. Consumer organisations have also called for stronger safeguards against covert recording.

The controversy has been intensified by reports and lawsuits alleging that sensitive footage captured through Meta’s glasses was reviewed by outsourced workers involved in AI data processing. A proposed class-action lawsuit in the US alleges that contractors had access to highly sensitive recordings, including footage involving people undressing and other private situations. These remain allegations in ongoing legal disputes, rather than established findings against Meta.

Meta has responded by strengthening the privacy LED built into its AI glasses.

The glasses use a bright capture LED that signals when photos or videos are being captured. Meta says the indicator cannot simply be switched off during normal recording. More recently, the company introduced safeguards that can disable the camera if the system detects that the LED has been covered, physically tampered with or damaged.

Meta has also been working to close another loophole: previously, users could reportedly start recording and then attempt to cover the LED. Updated safeguards are designed to stop the camera if the light is covered during an ongoing recording.

Meta says users should also avoid recording in places where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy and obtain permission before capturing others.

Privacy is not the only issue surrounding Meta’s smart glasses. The company has also faced criticism over its approach to premium AI features.

One example is Conversation Focus, an accessibility-oriented feature designed to enhance the voice of a person speaking directly to the wearer while reducing surrounding noise. Meta previously introduced usage limits and planned expanded access through its subscription programme, prompting criticism because the feature can operate directly on the glasses.

Meta later paused the controversial subscription plan following public backlash, although the company continues to develop paid premium features across its ecosystem.

The controversy surrounding Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses highlights a larger challenge for AI wearable technology: the devices are designed to blend into everyday life, but their cameras and microphones can make privacy harder for bystanders to understand or control.

Meta is adding stronger technical safeguards, but regulators and privacy advocates are increasingly asking whether software protections alone are enough.

With Norway preparing new restrictions and European retailers already reacting, the debate could influence how AI glasses, smart eyewear and wearable cameras are designed and regulated in the future.