France launches probe into Meta smart glasses in sexual harassment case

The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened at least one criminal investigation into suspected sexual harassment involving Meta’s camera-equipped smart glasses, according to Reuters. The case could signal that French authorities are prepared to treat covert street filming as a criminal matter, and will not leave it solely to the country’s privacy regulator.

The case centers on a social media trend in which men use the glasses to film women in public without their consent and post the footage online, often on TikTok. Reuters reported on Friday that the prosecutor’s office has not disclosed how many complaints it has received or if any of the perpetrators have been identified.

The scrutiny centers on Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, made with eyewear company EssilorLuxottica. The glasses have a small camera built into the frame and an LED light that signals when it is recording.

Rights group e-Enfance released a warning that some users cover or disable the light, which makes it harder for people nearby to know they are being filmed. Meta has since released two software updates that stop the camera from recording when the indicator is blocked.

French law’s probe limits

Article 226-1 of the French Penal Code provides for up to one year in prison and a €45,000 fine for recording someone’s image without consent, but the provision applies to private places and not public areas. This distinction is of note when assessing the prosecutor’s decision to open a criminal investigation.

France’s data protection authority, the CNIL, while examining the issue from a regulatory perspective, warned in June that cameras and microphones built into ordinary-looking glasses can capture people without their knowledge. Nacera Bekhat, the CNIL’s head of economic affairs, told Reuters that the glasses pose “real challenges” when it comes to alerting people they are being recorded and obtaining consent.

A recording light is not consent

Regulators and safety advocates say the burden of preventing abuse should not fall on the people being recorded. Ines Legendre, a legal expert at e-Enfance, told Reuters that an indicator light does not amount to consent to being filmed or to having someone’s image shared with thousands of people.

Ines Girard, who studies technology-enabled gender-based violence at the Center Hubertine Auclert, added to that point, arguing that the burden of being more vigilant should not rest on the people being recorded.

Meta dominates the smart glasses market, with Reuters putting its global share at about 76%. Counterpoint Research had measured Meta’s share at 82% in the second half of 2025, before a wave of rivals subsequently flooded the market. EssilorLuxottica reported sales of over 7 million AI glasses in 2025 and described the category’s growth as exponential.

Europe and beyond moving against same problem

France is not moving in isolation, with the German group HateAid also filing a criminal complaint last month against Meta, Ray-Ban, Oakley, and several retailers. Australia’s finance minister, Katy Gallagher, asked the public service commission on Thursday for advice on whether the glasses should be banned in Commonwealth workplaces.

Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office opened an investigation into smart glasses in March, while some venues have completely restricted the use of the glasses. The UK Cinema Association said in August that it was not aware of any members enforcing outright bans. The European Data Protection Board is also preparing to review the issue with national data protection authorities.

Meta Connect, the event where the company is expected to unveil its next generation of smart glasses is set for September 23.

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