security
More organizers prohibit camera-equipped specs, even with prescription lenses
Ahead of DEF CON 2026 opening its doors in Las Vegas next week, conference organizers said they have imposed a ban on “Meta-style glasses with recording capabilities.”
Statements made via its social media channels went on to say that no exceptions will be made for those using the devices with prescription lenses.
“Be sure to pack non-violating eyewear if you need them,” DEF CON said, before directing delegates to the conference’s official photo policy.
That policy has not been updated since 2023, predating the recent growth of camera-equipped eyewear developed by Meta with EssilorLuxottica under its Ray-Ban and Oakley brands.
It states that public photography is permitted but with several caveats that essentially prohibit capturing the image of anyone, except on-stage speakers, unless the photographer obtains consent from the subject(s).
EFF director of cybersecurity Eva Galperin welcomed the decision, saying: “Love to see a ‘no pervert glasses’ policy at DEF CON.”
The conference’s reminder follows similar moves from other major organizers and promoters.
Monopoly Events banned the same style of smart glasses from its shows, which include UK Comic Cons, in recent days.
“After a consultation period, we can no longer permit the wearing of any recording device at our events,” it stated last week. “The vast majority of the talent and agents at our events felt that these were a violation of their privacy and were damaging and spoiling the interactions at the tables.
“Several expressed concerns that they might not continue to attend in-person events if they were being recorded in secret.
“We had similar feedback from event attendees, many of whom are not comfortable with the knowledge that other convention goers might be filming them without consent.”
The event management company said that anyone caught wearing glasses with recording capabilities may be asked to leave the show and forfeit any unfulfilled autographs or photographs they had purchased.
Similarly, Scottish ferry operator CalMac temporarily suspended unplanned visits to ships’ bridges of its ships after a passenger wearing recording glasses made crew and passengers feel uncomfortable while filming during a crossing in June, the Ayrshire Weekly Press reported.
Growing privacy concerns
Originally pitched as a convenient tool for recording everyday moments without needing to occupy one’s hands with a phone or camera, Meta’s smart glasses quickly attracted a mixed reception.
Old fans of the Google Glass project were enamored by Meta’s take on the concept, more than ten years after the Chocolate Factory debuted its chunkier, costlier wearable, which was swiftly axed after two years.
MORE CONTEXT
Meta’s glasses, and crucially their recording capabilities, are considerably more clandestine than Google Glass’, appearing to many as a normal set of specs.
Only when you inspect the frame from a much closer perspective does the embedded camera become more apparent.
The devices have become associated with creepy behavior. A quick search for “Meta glasses privacy violations” will throw up countless examples of questionable conduct from glasses-wearers, typically reported by women and children.
While photography and videography in public spaces are widely permitted for casual use, smart recording glasses make the activity much more discreet.
The Register has heard that such devices can be paired with unsophisticated apps to dox passersby in seconds, and have inspired separate projects to alert Android users to nearby glasses-wearers using Bluetooth signals.
Meta is also facing scrutiny from the UK’s data protection watchdog, including over cross-border data flows. The watchdog’s questions follow reports originating in Sweden that Kenya-based contractors reviewing footage from wearers were exposed to some of their more private moments.
Human reviewers based in Kenya, who are tasked with labelling images and video to help train Meta’s AI, have reportedly reviewed captures taken from toilet visits, wearers changing their clothes, and users engaging in conversations that revealed alleged wrongdoing.
Meta has routinely defended its wearables amid privacy concerns, saying that when they are recording, a light on the frame illuminates to indicate that the camera is active.
Further, attempts to cover or otherwise tamper with this light result in the glasses refusing to capture images.
The Register contacted Meta for its take on the recent bans of its devices at conferences and will update this article if we hear back. ®