UK government weighs restrictions on smart glasses over covert filming concerns

The UK government is weighing restrictions on smart glasses amid concerns that the devices are being used to film women without their knowledge. Safeguarding minister Satvir Kaur told the House of Commons, the lower chamber of the UK parliament, that a ban on selling the technology "to certain users" is among the options.

Smart glasses can include built-in cameras, microphones and displays. Kaur said their benefits must be weighed against the harm they can cause, and that the government is already examining ways to restrict their use in certain settings and their sale to particular users.

Existing rules

The minister noted that people filming with smart glasses may already be breaking the law in some places, such as courts, where cameras are prohibited. In healthcare and education, safeguarding or professional policies already apply to digital recording. NHS England and the Department for Education are currently looking at wearable technology in certain settings.

Why the debate was held

The debate was held by Anna Sabine, a Liberal Democrat MP and the party's culture spokesperson. She said women report waking up after nights out to find videos of themselves have spread online, filmed by men wearing smart glasses without their knowledge or consent. Sabine argued the devices could erode safety and privacy in public spaces and raise important questions about consent. She added that advertisements present the ability to "film discreetly" as a selling point, and said she did not want parliamentarians to regulate only once it is too late.

Kaur acknowledged that smart glasses can be hugely beneficial to some people, for example those who are visually impaired, for whom they help navigate their surroundings.

A Welsh example

Separately, Jason O'Connell, a Reform UK member of the Senedd (the Welsh parliament) for Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr, read a speech last month from a teleprompter built into his glasses. He told the BBC's Politics Wales he wanted to stop keeping his head down looking at notes.