UK cinemas may ban Meta smart glasses over piracy concerns
The UK Cinema Association isn’t aware of any bans to date.
Meta smart glasses could face bans in UK cinemas. Image by Cybernews.
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- UK cinemas are considering banning Meta’s camera-enabled smart glasses over piracy and privacy concerns.
- Meta says recording triggers a flashing LED, and blocking it automatically disables the camera.
- Venues must weigh privacy and piracy risks against accessibility benefits, as other UK hospitality businesses impose bans.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Critics are calling Meta’s smart glasses “pervert glasses” and “spyware,” but there’s another reason cinemas across the United Kingdom are considering banning the gadgets – piracy.
The UK Cinema Association (UKCA) trade body said that a number of local chains could ban the camera-enabled smart glasses because they could be used to pirate films.
The gadgets aren’t yet officially banned in any UK big screen venue, but the UKCA suggests decisions are coming, and soon.
UK cinema operators are “mindful of the issues around privacy and film piracy that arise around the use of such technology in cinemas,” said the organization.
“As a result, many are introducing policies to prohibit and/or restrict the wearing of camera-enabled smart glasses, in particular in their venues,” the UKCA statement reads.
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There have already been instances of people complaining that they have been filmed without their consent or knowledge. Videos were then posted on social media.
For their part, Meta has said that a flashing LED light activates and blinks whenever the wearer of the glasses is recording a video or taking a photo, so efforts to pirate a movie would be quickly noticed by cinema staff.
Many are curious, but the feature has no software off-switch for privacy and safety reasons. And if someone tries to cover or block the LED, the system detects it and automatically disables the camera.
The very fact that the UKCA has issued a statement on the glasses might suggest that venues across the UK aren’t willing to take any chances.
Then again, they’d need to balance their concerns with the potential benefits provided by the AI-enabled technology to customers with accessibility issues. The glasses may, for instance, help viewers with specially made subtitles.
UK cinema operators are aware of the increasing availability and use of wearable technology such as smart glasses and the extent to which these can provide benefits to those with specific access requirements,The UK Cinema Association said.
Smart glasses are increasingly being marketed as AI assistants rather than wearable cameras. Some users, though, misuse the gadgets by recording and storing information about people without their knowledge. They also stalk celebrities.
Specifically in the UK, the hospitality industry has also been cracking down on Meta’s specs, with pubs, cafes, restaurants, and private clubs all over the country banning them to protect customer and staff privacy.
