France opens sexual harassment probe over smart glasses

French prosecutors have launched an investigation into alleged sexual harassment involving the use of smart glasses. The Paris prosecutor’s office said it had received complaints alleging that women were secretly filmed in the street and that the footage was shared on social media without their consent.

The investigation follows a trend on social media in which men film women without their knowledge using smart glasses and publish the footage online. Prosecutors did not identify a specific brand. However, the cybercrime unit reportedly tested the devices two weeks ago to assess what legal violations they could enable.

AI-powered glasses developed by Meta in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, whose products account for about 76 percent of the market, sold 7 million units last year. A Meta representative said privacy principles had been taken into account from the earliest stages of the devices’ development and that safeguards would be strengthened as the glasses’ capabilities expand. EssilorLuxottica did not comment.

Smart glasses have also drawn the attention of regulators in other countries. Some cinemas in the United Kingdom have banned their use. In Germany, a consumer group filed a criminal complaint against Meta and other manufacturers. Australia is considering banning the use of camera-equipped smart glasses in government facilities.

France’s National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) said it had received fewer than 10 complaints about the use of smart glasses in workplaces. The regulator also said it had received more inquiries about whether employers could ban the devices.

Nasera Bekhat, a CNIL representative, said smart glasses posed serious challenges regarding informing people that they were being filmed and obtaining their consent. Although the devices have a small light indicating that recording is taking place, civil rights advocates say this places responsibility on potential victims.

Ines Legrand, a representative of internet safety group e-Enfance, said the light being on did not mean that consent had been given for the footage to be shared with thousands of people. Women’s rights organizations said women were more likely to become targets of such filming and that technology companies needed to take additional measures.