Wetherspoons has introduced a new policy requiring customers wearing Meta smart glasses to switch off the camera function before entering any of its more than 800 pubs across the UK, citing privacy concerns.
Policy details
The pub chain confirmed that patrons using the wearable tech will be asked to disable the devices' camera feature while on the premises. The decision follows growing worries over the glasses, which allow users to discreetly take photos and record videos through built-in cameras.
A Wetherspoons spokesperson said the move was made to protect the privacy of both customers and staff. "Like many hospitality companies, Wetherspoon has CCTV cameras for security reasons, but their use is strictly controlled by data legislation," the spokesperson said.
Privacy concerns
"Apart from that, the general code that applies in our pubs, and most pubs, is that you can't film customers or employees without their permission. Meta glasses seem to breach this code, and common sense, by enabling surreptitious surveillance, so our instinct is to say turn off the cameras."
The policy comes after reports of people, particularly women, being covertly filmed while wearing the glasses. Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses include features such as music streaming, phone calls, text messaging, and live translation, with prices starting at around £247.
Meta's response
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri addressed privacy concerns, noting that the glasses have a small indicator light to signal when recording is in progress. "So we can't stop people from filming other people, but we can try to make sure that that light is on if they are filming," he said. "We now actually have the glasses basically stop working if you drill that light out, because we saw that people were trying to drill that light out."
Mosseri added that Meta removes content used to harass individuals or secretly record them. "We don't want people to be surreptitiously taking videos of other people and harassing them and then posting them on our platform. So we're trying to fight that every way we can."
A Meta spokesperson defended the technology, stating that many customers rely on the glasses for accessibility and convenience. "People use our glasses because they're helpful and let them stay in the moment, from listening to music to live translation or hands-free calls," the spokesperson said. "They also provide critical new technology for people who are low-sighted or hard of hearing and limiting how people can use this technology would be a major step backwards. Naturally some places shouldn't be filmed at all and that's reasonable, but rules should be applied consistently."
Under the new policy, patrons can still wear Meta smart glasses inside Wetherspoons pubs, but they must keep the recording function disabled while on the premises.
