Meta's new line of smart glasses, promoted by Kylie Jenner, has encountered a significant hurdle in the UK as numerous venues have banned their use. The £359 devices, which resemble normal eyewear with embedded cameras, are being prohibited by establishments ranging from elite restaurants to popular pub chains and theatres.
The primary concern cited by these venues is the preservation of customer and staff privacy. Celebrated restaurateur Jeremy King, owner of London venues like Simpsons in the Strand, Arlington, and The Park, stated that guests should not wear the recording glasses. Soho House's private members' clubs also expect members to remove them, confirming that filming is not permitted.
Even pub chain Wetherspoons will not allow recording with the glasses inside their premises. Tim Martin, Wetherspoons' chief executive, noted that the devices appear to breach the general code against filming customers or employees without permission. ATG Theatres, which includes the Bristol Hippodrome and Edinburgh Playhouse, also prohibits filming and will ask those wearing the glasses during shows to remove them.
Despite Meta's inclusion of a tiny, flashing LED light that activates during filming, there have been multiple complaints of people being videoed without their knowledge. Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, confirmed the platform will remove nonconsensual videos made with the glasses, particularly those exploiting and harassing individuals.
However, not all venues share these concerns. Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, who owns pubs and restaurants in Marlow, stated he has no issue with the glasses, viewing filming as part of everyday life and potentially useful for creative purposes. Meta maintains that the glasses are genuinely helpful for various functions, and trust is built through privacy features like the non-disableable capture LED.