Hans Anders pauses Meta Ray-Ban smart-glass sales over privacy worries

Hans Anders, part of Nexeye and owned by KKR, announced it will no longer offer Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses in Dutch and Belgian stores amid heightened privacy concerns. The move reflects a broader controversy, with UK venues like Wetherspoon already restricting the devices and a US lawsuit accusing Meta and Luxottica of allowing human review of captured video without consent. The Dutch privacy authority AP recently cautioned that sharing footage of identifiable individuals is generally prohibited without permission, a rule hard to enforce in public spaces.

Consumer watchdog Consumentenbond said it will sue Meta unless the glasses are altered to meet privacy standards, while the anti-abuse group Offlimits urged a voluntary withdrawal. Meta maintains that a visible light signals any recording and that the camera disables if covered. The retailer does not sell the glasses in Germany, Austria or Sweden.