Dutch nonprofit takes Meta to court over controversial AI glasses
It’s refusing to turn a blind eye.
Mark Zuckerberg. Image by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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- Offlimits is taking Meta to court to stop sales of its AI glasses in the Netherlands.
- The group says hidden cameras make secret filming easier and may violate privacy law.
- Meta says misuse is the user’s fault, but Offlimits argues the company enables abuse.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Dutch advocacy group Offlimits is taking legal action to get Meta’s AI glasses off shelves in the Netherlands.
Meta’s AI glasses are equipped with cameras that can be used for all sorts of purposes. Ideally, consumers would use them to record the scenery around them, to ask questions about landscapes and attractions, or to get directions.
Instead, they’ve been used to secretly film women when they least expect it, upload shameful pictures to so-called “creepshot” platforms, and invade other people’s privacy.
That’s why 2 weeks ago, Offlimits demanded that Meta stop selling its camera glasses in the Netherlands.
“These spy glasses are a recipe for trouble. We’re therefore drawing the line. Concealing a camera in an everyday object encourages inappropriate behavior,” Offlimits Director Robbert Hoving said in a statement.
The advocacy group gave Meta until October 13th to voluntarily comply with the demand and enter a discussion regarding a solution. Instead, Meta decided to continue the sales of its AI glasses.
“When the first smartphones with cameras came out, there was an uproar too. What surprised us is how hard bad actors are working to disable the LED. A sort of cat-and-mouse game has emerged,” Alex Himel, Vice President of Wearables at Meta, said during an online meeting with journalists on Monday.
Offlimits was astounded by the VP’s response.
“It’s always the user’s fault. It’s not like you’re putting something on the market that makes abuse easy. The company washes its hands of any responsibility while raking in huge profits. And we won’t accept that. That’s why we’re taking this to court,” Hoving said in an interview with Dutch news outlet Algemeen Dagblad.
According to Offlimits’ lawyer, secretly filming others infringes the fundamental right to privacy and the GDPR and is often a criminal offense.
“All recordings end up in Meta’s systems. Meta itself violates the GDPR and is liable to criminal prosecution for processing all that material,” he told AD.
More bans
Opposition to the glasses is growing rapidly. Earlier this month, Dutch eyewear retail chain Hans Anders suspended sales of Meta’s smart glasses indefinitely in both the Netherlands and Belgium due to privacy concerns.
Around the same time, Norway decided to implement a temporary ban on smart glasses in public spaces where privacy is a concern, including parks, museums, schools, playgrounds, and places with wardrobes and showers.
“We do not want a society where people are concerned about hidden audio recordings, photography, and filming in places and in situations where they are used to being without being monitored. Such a society can be experienced as unsafe and make us pull away,” Minister of Digitalization and Public Governance Torgeir Micaelsen said in a statement.
Meanwhile, other European countries are considering stricter regulations regarding the sale and use of smart glasses.
