The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) issued guidelines on October 13 requiring smart glasses manufacturers and associated app providers to ensure bystanders are clearly informed when recording occurs. The EDPB emphasized that companies cannot shift privacy responsibilities to users and must design devices with signals that are difficult or impossible to disable, according to medianama.com.
The EDPB's non-binding statement outlines several mandatory signals to protect non-users’ privacy under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These include visible LED lights active in all lighting conditions, audio cues such as shutter sounds or voice commands, and Bluetooth alerts to notify nearby phones. The glasses must stop recording if the LED light is covered, and visual cues should help distinguish recording from reflections. The EDPB noted that current indicators often leave bystanders unaware that their data is being processed.
This guidance comes amid growing concerns over privacy as smart glasses gain popularity, including in India where Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses have been sold since May 2025. In India, people filmed by wearers have resorted to legal notices and police complaints due to the absence of clear regulatory frameworks. The EDPB’s guidelines provide a benchmark for privacy protection that other jurisdictions may consider adopting to address similar challenges.
The EDPB’s statement serves as a reference point for regulators and manufacturers worldwide, highlighting the need for robust privacy safeguards in wearable technology. The guidelines were adopted on October 13 by the European Data Protection Board, which coordinates data protection enforcement across the EU.