Paris prosecutors have opened at least one criminal probe into suspected sexual harassment involving the use of smart glasses to secretly film women in public. The investigation follows complaints related to a social media trend where videos of women were recorded without their consent and posted online. While prosecutors did not specify which brands were involved, their cybercrime unit has been testing the devices to understand their potential for misuse.
In addition to the criminal probe, France's data protection authority, CNIL, has received a small number of complaints about smart glasses being used in the workplace. The agency noted the devices pose "real challenges" for obtaining consent and is being contacted by businesses asking if they can ban the technology. This increased scrutiny in France mirrors growing international concern over the privacy implications of the technology, with other countries like Australia also considering bans in government workplaces.