Dutch eyewear chain Hans Anders pulls Meta's Ray-Ban camera glasses from sale over privacy concerns

Hans Anders, one of the largest Dutch eyewear retail chains, said on 2 October that it had suspended sales of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, which carry a camera and Meta's AI assistant, in the Netherlands and Belgium, Reuters reported. The glasses were taken out of shops and the online store with no end date, VRT NWS reported. A spokesperson told Reuters: “This decision follows the ongoing public and political debate surrounding smart glasses”.

Hans Anders is owned by Nexeye, which belongs to the private-equity firm KKR. “Nexeye operates 776 stores across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Sweden,” Reuters reported, adding that the chain does not sell the glasses in the last three countries.

The move follows pressure in the Netherlands. The Dutch privacy regulator warned last month that videos showing identifiable people generally cannot be shared without consent, Reuters reported. The consumer group Consumentenbond has said it will take Meta to court unless the glasses comply with privacy law, and the anti-abuse group Offlimits has urged Meta and EssilorLuxottica, which makes the glasses with Meta, to withdraw them until covert recording is impossible, according to Reuters.

Meta told Reuters that every pair with a camera has a light on the front that blinks when it takes a photo or video. EssilorLuxottica could not be reached. It is an early case of a European retailer withdrawing a mainstream AI device over privacy.

• Reported Hans Anders suspended Ray-Ban Meta sales in the Netherlands and Belgium on 2 October, Reuters reported. Reuters (The Star)
• Claimed A Hans Anders spokesperson said the decision follows the public and political debate on smart glasses. Reuters (The Star)
• Reported The glasses were removed from shops and the webshop with no end date, VRT NWS reported. VRT NWS
• Claimed Meta says every pair with a camera has a light that blinks while recording. Reuters (The Star)