this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2025
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MSC Cruises is the latest one to ban smart glasses and this may be becoming more and more of a problem for people using them.

Previously in Egypt tourists have reportedly been blocked from going to see the pyramids and some museums there also ban them. Saudi Arabian authorities apparently confiscate them at the airport from arriving passengers. Anyone who needs a prescription needs to consider that they may not be able to use them everywhere.

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[–] Fandangalo@lemmy.world 66 points 3 months ago (2 children)

No offense to fans, but good. Last thing we need are more devices recording everything.

[–] SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social 25 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I'm not really concerned about offending them. Those things have no business being in public spaces.

[–] 73ms@sopuli.xyz 8 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

well I think the strongest case can be made for blind/deaf users that can benefit from the glasses being able to observe on their behalf and give them the information they otherwise could not have auditorily/visually.

[–] zeezee@slrpnk.net 11 points 3 months ago (1 children)

valid - so we should regulate them like assistive devices and make sure there's a certificates one can show so that exceptions can be made (like bringing a guide dog into a dog-free space)

furthermore such tools should be ideally democratized and made public but realistically at least in the hands of assistive tool companies as one user with sight loss notes:

The fact that the technology is backed by Meta means they can switch off that feature at any point. It's not a tech brand made for disability. They could decide they're not supporting it anymore and just turn off the functionality. We've seen that before with other platforms.

and while i've had moments where ive been "wow it would be so cool to snap a pic right now of a thing i don't have time to pull out my phone for" - the downside of such devices becoming as ubiquitous as smartphones so we end up in an era where everyone has a camera on their face at all times sounds too dystopian to be worth pursuing imo.

[–] spamfajitas@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 months ago

A doctor's note didn't help prevent someone from being physically assaulted the last time this stuff came up in the news:

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/cyborg-steve-mann-details-alleged-mcdonald-s-assault-flna889595

[–] SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social 2 points 3 months ago

Fair. And I agree.

[–] yucandu@lemmy.world -3 points 3 months ago

I don't own one but why shouldn't they be in public spaces? Do you think we should ban police officers from wearing body cams in public spaces? And how is it any different from my smartphone, which almost everyone is almost always holding at chest height recording level anyway?

[–] blazeknave@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

The bar in SF where the guy got socked over it kabashing the whole thing, is up for sale... Maybe it was the honmoon all along

[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 13 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Didn't we already go through this 10 years ago with google glass? Why are we repeating this again? Businesses killed Google glass then and they will kill the meta glass this time.

[–] 73ms@sopuli.xyz 4 points 3 months ago

I don't think Glass ultimately failed because of that. It was a limited device that made the wearer look like a member of the borg.

[–] IcyToes@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 months ago

Errrr. Good.

[–] AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 11 points 3 months ago

Holys shit thats..... actually based

[–] bluegreenpurplepink@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Why don't they put a feature on the glasses where whenever they are recording a red light dot shines and/or blinks so that everyone knows the glasses are recording? There could also be a beep sound played like they do for phone call recording.

[–] erin@piefed.blahaj.zone 9 points 3 months ago

This is already a thing on many products, but people just cover them up.

[–] 73ms@sopuli.xyz 4 points 3 months ago

The Meta glasses do have a blinking LED that signifies that recording is active. It's a white instead of red LED though. It also has a light sensor that is meant to prevent the user from covering the light.

[–] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago

ban on items “capable of covertly or discreetly recording or transmitting data"

This includes phones, headphones and laptops (+ walkmans, dictaphones and string between 2 cups).

Do they just mean glasses with in built cameras?

[–] yucandu@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

What a bunch of idiots. Anyone trying to surreptitiously record something is going to use their smartphone and any million of apps that play it off as some game or other app. They're not going to use the most conspicuous device that exists short of Homer Simpson's bee hat.

[–] 73ms@sopuli.xyz 7 points 3 months ago

I do think a lot of that goes on with phones already but I will say there are certain situations where the person recording can't do it so well with a phone. Such as when they're actively interacting with whoever they want to video.