Enhedslisten has called for Meta’s AI smartglasses to be banned in Denmark, arguing they allow people to be filmed without consent. Justice Minister Nicolai Wammen says he will convene a meeting on how to protect Danes from covert recording.
The party’s justice spokesperson, Eva Flyvholm, made the demand on Monday, August 17, on DR’s radio program P1 Morgen. DR reports that the glasses closely resemble ordinary sunglasses but can film, take photographs and record sound.
Flyvholm said the devices make it possible to film people discreetly without their knowledge or consent. She called that extremely uncomfortable and in conflict with the fundamental right to a private life. Beyond a ban, Enhedslisten wants current Danish legislation revised so it keeps pace with the technology.
According to DR, Flyvholm could not set out how such rules would work in practice. She said the decisive point is that people should not have to fear being filmed and shared on platforms, whether in public spaces, changing rooms or swimming pools. Some form of consent must be required, she said.
The initiative follows days of heavy criticism of the glasses. The Guardian has reported that the devices have been nicknamed pervert glasses in some places, after cases where women were filmed without their knowledge and the videos posted on social media. The paper has also reported that the glasses were banned from courts in England and Wales.
Danish ad campaign dropped
In Denmark, the influencers Cecilie Haugaard, known as Cillemouse, and Sus Wilkins, along with the magazines Euroman and Eurowoman, faced criticism over a commercial collaboration with the optician chain Synoptik promoting Meta‘s smartglasses. The two magazines wrote on Instagram on Wednesday that the technology raises privacy questions, and that they had agreed with Synoptik not to continue the campaign.
Wilkins said she should have researched the product more thoroughly and been far more critical of it. Haugaard said the ensuing debate had made her more aware of concerns about privacy and the risk of being recorded unknowingly. TV 2 has also reported that both magazines ended the campaign, while Politiken reported the ads were dropped after a wave of criticism.
Enhedslisten has raised the matter with Wammen. In a written response to DR, the minister called it deeply reprehensible to record conversations and publish videos without people’s knowledge, adding that he understands how intrusive it feels. He wrote that the government is aware technological development creates new challenges, and that he will invite the consumer organization Forbrugerrådet Tænk to a meeting on how best to protect Danes.
Forbrugerrådet Tænk has previously told DR that it is not clear enough to people when they are being filmed. A Meta spokesperson told DR that privacy protection is built into the AI glasses. All pairs have an LED light that flashes during recording, cannot be switched off, and the camera is deactivated if the light is damaged. Synoptik did not respond to DR’s inquiry.
