Contact Info and Workplace Exposed After Chatting with Man in Glasses... Surge in Secret Recordings with Smart Glasses

Victims Secretly Filmed During Conversations, Videos Shared on TikTok
"Companies Prioritizing Profit Over Women's Safety," Critics Say

Cases of illegal filming using smart glasses are being reported around the world, fueling growing controversy.

Recently, the BBC reported that seven women living in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia suffered psychological harm after videos of them, secretly recorded with smart glasses, were posted on social networking services (SNS).

According to the report, Dilara (21) exchanged contact information with a man who approached her and struck up a conversation at a store in London. However, the entire interaction was being recorded through the smart glasses worn by the man. The video was uploaded to TikTok, where it garnered 1.3 million views, and Dilara's contact information was exposed. As a result, Dilara was inundated with phone calls and messages, and even experienced strangers showing up at her workplace.

Another victim, Kim (56), also shared personal information such as her workplace and Instagram account with a stranger who approached her on a beach in England. This man was also secretly filming with smart glasses, but Kim was completely unaware she was being recorded. The video of Kim received 6.9 million views on TikTok and 100,000 'likes' on Instagram. Afterwards, Kim was subjected to thousands of sexually harassing messages from men.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, is wearing Meta's augmented reality (AR) smart glasses, Orion. Photo by AP Yonhap News

According to the BBC investigation, hundreds of similar videos were found on TikTok and Instagram. Most of these videos were reportedly filmed by male influencers using smart glasses.

Dilara reported the incident to TikTok, but was told "no violation was found," while Kim directly requested the perpetrator to delete the video, only to be ignored. Rebecca Hitchen of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), a UK women's rights organization, pointed out, "Smart glasses manufacturers are prioritizing profit over women's safety and welfare," and stressed the need for safety measures.

Previously, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has been developing smart glasses in collaboration with eyewear manufacturer EssilorLuxottica since 2019, and renewed its long-term partnership agreement in 2024. Major US technology companies, including Meta, are accelerating the development of artificial intelligence (AI)-based smart glasses.

However, in response to the BBC's request for comment, Meta stated that "an LED light is visible when recording," but the victims countered that "they did not see any light during filming."