Meta Glasses Ban Possible: Hamburg's Data Protection Officer Warns

The fact that the small illuminated light on the glasses is not sufficient as an identifying feature for a recording was already communicated by the Hamburg authority to Deutschlandfunk recently. Fuchs has now reaffirmed this assessment in the ARD report. The Hamburg data protection authority is also responsible for other major platforms in Germany, such as Facebook and Instagram.

Possible Consequences for Meta

Fuchs left open what concrete steps the authority could take against Meta Glasses. Conditions, a partial ban on individual functions, or — as a final stage — a market ban in Germany are conceivable. However, no decision has yet been made. According to its own statements, the authority is in contact with the provider.

Federal Network Agency Also Examining the Product

Independently of this, the product is also being examined by the Federal Network Agency. This agency is responsible for compliance with telecommunications and product law requirements and could take action, for instance with regard to radio equipment. It was initially unclear whether the Federal Network Agency has already opened proceedings.

Data protection commissioners and consumer advocates have long been calling for clearly recognizable signals, such as a clearly visible recording light or an acoustic warning. The GDPR also requires that the processing of personal data must be comprehensible to those affected. The Hamburg authority is considered one of the strictest data protection supervisory bodies in Germany.

The Meta Glasses AI glasses have been promoted internationally for some time and are available in several markets. They feature an integrated camera, microphones, and AI-supported analysis of the surroundings. Users can have photos, videos, and translations recorded via voice command.

How Things Could Proceed

Should the Hamburg supervisory authority actually impose a ban, Meta would have to comply with the order. The company could sue against it, and proceedings could drag on for months or years. Until a final decision is made, the glasses will continue to be marketable.

Consumers in Germany can, in the meantime, be attentive themselves: conspicuous glasses worn by other people should, in case of doubt, be taken seriously as possible recording devices. Those who wish to prevent recordings can address conversation partners as soon as a pair of glasses with a camera is visibly being used.

The Hamburg authority announced that it intends to conclude the review swiftly. Should the suspicion be confirmed, it would "initiate the next steps," according to the statement. The authority did not wish to provide further details, citing the ongoing proceedings.