Smart Glasses, Alarm Sounds: Secret Videos Online and Demands for Money from Victims

The tech industry is increasingly focusing on smart glasses, which, following the partial failure of headsets confirmed by Apple's choices regarding the Vision Pro, represent a new opportunity for the augmented reality service sector.

However, there is a privacy problem that, despite the limited spread of these products, is already very relevant, as also confirmed by the way Meta has handled user videos to train AI.

As reported by a BBC service, smart glasses are already being used for blackmail and extortion attempts. This is still a limited phenomenon but could become increasingly significant in the future.

A Case for Reflection

The BBC service highlights one of the consequences of the spread of smart glasses. A woman was secretly filmed while shopping in London by a man wearing a pair of glasses with an integrated camera. The video was published on social media, and the man who shared it demanded payment from the woman to remove it. The content was removed from the platforms (after reporting), but the video was online for a certain period of time.

This case clarifies the risks associated with smart glasses. Recording videos covertly and sharing them online, accompanied by attempts to obtain payment, are elements that risk becoming more widespread in the future.

To avoid such issues, manufacturers will be called upon to find effective countermeasures to protect users. Furthermore, it is not excluded that individual states may define particularly stringent regulations regarding the use of smart glasses, specifically for safeguarding user privacy.