Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that personal privacy is adequately safeguarded in relation to the use of Meta’s “smart glasses” and similar recording technologies in public spaces; and how her Department is ensuring that individuals’ rights are protected from potential misuse, including virtual harassment and abuse.

People may lawfully use smart glasses and similar recording technologies in public spaces, in line with rights to freedom of expression as set out in Human Rights law. However, individuals who record other people in public places without their consent to cause alarm or distress or for the purposes of sexual gratification may be guilty of criminal offences such as harassment, stalking or voyeurism. Sharing intimate images on the internet without the consent of the individual is also a criminal offence.

Once images captured on smart glasses are uploaded to the internet, online services are obliged to consider requests from individuals under the UK GDPR to remove them. Platforms also have duties to remove illegal material under the Online Safety Act. We do not wish to prevent law-abiding citizens from using the glasses for private or domestic purposes where this does not pose harm to other people. We will continue to monitor this issue.