When Smart Glasses Spy: How Wearable Tech Is Changing Public Safety
Smart glasses are raising global privacy concerns as covert recordings of women in public spaces highlight legal gaps, safety risks, and urgent calls for regulation.
By Anubha Jain
Published : February 17, 2026 at 2:08 PM IST
|Updated : February 17, 2026 at 7:33 PM IST
Bengaluru: Smart glasses promised a future of hands-free photos, live translation, and voice assistants built into everyday eyewear. But for many women, that promise of convenience now comes with a growing fear: the technology can quietly record them in public, turning an ordinary glance into a potential act of surveillance. Reports are coming in from cities around the world of women being filmed without their knowledge by men wearing camera-equipped glasses. Unlike smartphones, which signal when they’re recording, smart glasses are almost invisible. A glance could be a casual look, or it could be filming. This uncertainty has made everyday spaces like streets, beaches, and shops feel unsafe.
The problem goes beyond simple harassment. Videos recorded without consent are often posted online, sometimes with mocking or sexual comments. US Twitch streamer Herculyse described discovering she had been filmed in a supermarket as violating and disturbing. The man responsible was wearing Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Similarly, Kassy Zanjani from Vancouver said seeing footage of herself online was anxiety-provoking. More severe incidents have also been reported. In Cheshire, England, courts have prosecuted cases of secret recording using wearable devices, highlighting the legal risks of covert filming.
The concerns are not limited to individual privacy. In India, smart glasses have also raised security concerns, and smart glasses have caused arrests at religious places where photography is banned, including the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in India. Authorities are warning about wearable tech in sensitive locations, but broader protections in public spaces remain limited.
Immediate steps: Preserve evidence and report
In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, veteran lawyer and Karnataka State President of Anti Sexual Harassment Council Deepa Rafeeque, while speaking on laws related to women’s safety, noted that unauthorised filming is not an issue limited to women; it can affect anyone. She clarified that while taking someone’s photograph in a public place, such as in candid or street photography, is generally not an offence in India, using that photograph without consent is unlawful. Publishing, sharing, modifying, or circulating someone’s image in print, on social media, or on any other platform without their permission constitutes an offence.
If a woman is secretly recorded in public and the video is shared online, she should act immediately, stated Deepa. She advised that the first step is to preserve evidence, and take clear screenshots of the content and note down the exact URL of the platform where it has been posted. This applies not only to major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X, but also to lesser-known websites where such content may be circulated.
The person should then report the matter directly to the cybercrime cell in their district or state, as every state has a dedicated cybercrime unit. The important aspect Deepa mentioned is that the victim cannot usually get the content removed on her own, especially if it was uploaded by someone else. Once a complaint is filed, cyber Police authorities will instruct the concerned platform to take down the content in accordance with the law.
Deepa said that ideally, the affected person should come forward and file the complaint herself, as she can directly confirm the misuse of her image or video. She explained that while a third person can also file a complaint, it may be more difficult, as the police may question how they accessed the content and whether they can verify its authenticity. However, the authorities will investigate the matter once a complaint is filed. If the woman herself has seen the content being misused, she can directly approach the cyber police, as such cases fall under the purview of the Information Technology Act. An online complaint can also be filed.
The most convenient option in such cases is to file an online complaint through the official National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. The website provides complete information on how to submit a complaint and track its status. If she continues to face any difficulty or requires further assistance, she may approach the National Commission for Women or the respective State Commission for Women in her state for support and guidance. Clarifying further, she said that a woman does not need to visit a police station in person to raise a complaint.
Legal gaps and emerging protections
Legally, the landscape offers little reassurance. In many jurisdictions, including parts of the United States and India, video recording in public spaces is broadly permitted as long as there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. Audio recording laws vary, with some regions requiring consent from one or all parties. These frameworks were designed for handheld cameras, not always-on wearables that can record discreetly and continuously.
India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act does not require notification when individuals are recorded in public spaces, nor does it grant bystanders a clear right to access or demand deletion of footage in which they appear without consent. In effect, a person could be filmed at a café, metro station, park, or place of worship and have no way of knowing or challenging the recording. However, things change when it is related to synthetic media. The Government of India announced on February 10, 2026, that it is tightening rules to curb deep fakes and other AI-generated content under amended IT regulations.
| ALSO READ: Govt Tightens Rules For AI-Generated Content, Mandates Labelling And Rapid Takedown Of Deepfakes |
Platforms will be required to clearly label AI-generated or synthetic media and remove harmful deep fake content within three hours of it being flagged by authorities. The new rules, issued through a gazette notification by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will come into force on February 20, 2026. The move aims to curb misinformation and misuse, protect users from deceptive AI content and strengthen trust in digital platforms.
While the government is attempting to respond through updated regulations, crime often evolves faster than the law, which is where gaps tend to emerge. Deepa explained that while laws are meant to anticipate potential issues, it’s impossible to foresee every misuse of emerging technology. India’s Information Technology Act, which came into force in 2000, has gradually evolved as new forms of wrongdoing have appeared. Legislators adapt not due to a lack of intent to protect people, but because regulation requires time, careful understanding, and due process.
Responding to whether there should be technical restrictions on smart glasses in crowded or sensitive public spaces such as temples, schools, or legislatures, she said that while restrictions may be necessary, mere recording in a public space is not illegal as of now.
Awareness and personal vigilance: Staying safe
Products from big names, such as Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, include a small white LED that lights up during video recording, letting others know that they are being recorded. In practice, however, the recording is not always obvious as the indicator can be hard to notice in bright conditions, especially when they are used to capture photographs via voice commands. Several models, including some imported from China, lack recording indicators entirely. Deepa Rafeeque highlighted that currently, there is no specific law that mandates this indicator on smart glasses.
Responding to what steps the government or women’s commissions can take to raise awareness about the risks of smart glasses and covert recording, Deepa said that awareness largely depends on collective responsibility. While there is no specific law mandating awareness campaigns on such devices, the issue can be addressed during training sessions, whether in corporate settings or elsewhere, especially when discussing sexual harassment at the workplace or in public spaces. If any such incident occurs, the person must report it to the police authorities.
She added that establishments such as temples, malls, or offices can frame their own internal policies prohibiting the use of such devices for safety and security reasons. While there is currently no specific law that exclusively bans the use of smart glasses or recording in a public space, such restrictions are within their rights.
"There are no easy solutions. Awareness is a starting point," she said.
Understanding how these devices look, recognising that recording may not be obvious, and staying informed without sliding into fear. Deepa emphasised that personal vigilance is key. Individuals, especially women, should stay aware of their surroundings, use digital platforms responsibly, and be ready to speak up if something goes wrong. Often, victims hesitate to report due to fear or family restrictions, but without coming forward, offenders cannot be held accountable. Confidence and timely action, supported by the law, are crucial for safety, and sharing this knowledge can help others stay protected.
As wearable cameras become more common, policymakers face mounting pressure to modernise privacy laws. Clearer rules around public recording, stronger accountability for misuse, and enforceable rights for those filmed without consent are no longer optional. Without them, technology designed to make life easier risks making public spaces less safe, especially for women.
