A 22-year-old woman has described feeling 'violated' after a stranger used Meta smart glasses to film her without consent in Manchester. Isobel Thomason was approached in the city's Northern Quarter by a man who asked for her number. After she declined, he revealed he had been recording the interaction with his glasses, which appeared normal.
The man, who identified himself as a content creator, told Ms Thomason he regularly posts videos of approaching women to 'boost men's confidence'. She did not give permission for the footage to be shared online, but said she was left scared by the lack of control over the recording. 'He could do anything with that video,' she told The Independent.
Experts say incidents of women being filmed without consent are rising, with smart glasses enabling covert recording. Dr Olga Jurasz, director of the Centre for Protecting Women Online, called the behaviour 'alarming' but 'not unexpected'. She warned of harms including deepfakes and global online harassment, adding that consent after the fact is 'irrelevant'.
Meta said it is 'concerned' about misuse of its products, but victims argue the glasses' discreet design facilitates privacy violations. Ms Thomason called for a more distinctive appearance to alert those being filmed. Currently, recording in public spaces is not illegal, prompting calls for action.
