Privacy regulators have asked Facebook to demonstrate that its new Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses do not infringe on the privacy of others.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) said that it had asked the tech company to demonstrate that its Ray-Ban Stories frame effectively notified people they were being recorded via what the DPC called a ‘very small’ in-built light.
Facebook’s European offices are located in Dublin, making Ireland’s DPC the company’s lead EU data protection regulator. Italy’s privacy watchdog, the Garante, has also raised concerns over whether the new device is compliant with privacy legislation.
'While it is accepted that many devices, including smart phones, can record third party individuals,' said a DPC statement, 'it is generally the case that the camera or phone is visible as the device by which recording is happening, thereby putting those captured in recordings on notice.
'With the glasses, there is a very small indicator light that comes on when recording is occurring.
'It has not been demonstrated to the DPC and Garante that comprehensive testing in the field was done by Facebook or Ray-Ban to ensure the indicator LED light is an effective means of giving notice.'