Hans Anders, a major optical retail chain in the Netherlands, has suspended sales of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium. The company cited ongoing privacy concerns and public debate regarding the conditions of use for this technology as the primary reasons for this decision.
The retail chain is part of the Nexeye group, which is controlled by the private equity firm KKR. Nexeye operates 776 stores across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Sweden. The smart glasses were not previously available in the German, Austrian, or Swedish branches of the chain.
The move follows growing public opposition to camera-equipped eyewear. In the UK, the Wetherspoon pub chain has restricted the use of these glasses due to concerns over covert recording. Meanwhile, Meta and Luxottica are facing a lawsuit in the US alleging that recorded videos are viewed by human annotators without the consent of those filmed.
The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) recently warned that sharing videos containing identifiable individuals without their explicit permission is generally prohibited. The Dutch Consumers' Association (Consumentenbond) has threatened legal action against Meta unless the product is modified to comply with privacy regulations.
Meta maintains that the glasses include a mandatory, non-disableable indicator light that flashes during recording. The company states that the camera automatically disables if the light is obstructed. Despite this, the advocacy group Offlimits has called on Meta and EssilorLuxottica to withdraw the product until technical measures prevent all forms of secret recording.
