Pressure is mounting on the government to prevent convicted sex offenders from purchasing and wearing smart eyewear, following the introduction of restrictions by a major British pub operator.
The Liberal Democrats have called for individuals convicted of sexual offences to be barred from acquiring the recording devices, citing concerns about the covert filming of women.
The party has urged ministers to take action, warning that wearers of the technology have been using the glasses to record women in public spaces without their awareness or consent.
The intervention follows the announcement by JD Wetherspoon that it would prohibit smart glasses from all of its establishments, a policy implemented approximately one month ago.
The pub company, which operates more than 800 venues across the country, has prohibited patrons from wearing Meta glasses or any other form of smart eyewear on its premises.
The ban was implemented in response to increasing reports of individuals secretly recording members of the public and distributing the footage on internet platforms.
Among the chain’s Oxford locations are The Swan and Castle on Castle Street and The Four Candles on George Street.
Liberal Democrat MP Anna Sabine, the party’s spokesperson for culture, media and sport, communicated the position on behalf of all Liberal Democrat parliamentarians.
She stated that no individual should discover upon waking that footage of them had been captured without their knowledge and subsequently distributed to large online audiences.
Meta has recently disclosed modifications to its artificial intelligence eyewear designed to prevent users from circumventing the LED indicator light.
The company confirmed that an update had been released days before the Liberal Democrats submitted their letter to ministers.
Smart glasses incorporate a light indicator that activates when photographs, videos or audio recordings are being captured.
Despite this safeguard, evidence has emerged that certain users have discovered methods to deactivate the flashing light, meaning those being filmed remain unaware that images or recordings are being taken.
The Liberal Democrats’ communication emphasised that the issue represents a matter of public safety and personal privacy.
The party argued that the government cannot credibly maintain a commitment to reducing violence against women and girls while permitting individuals to become unwitting subjects of recorded material by sex offenders.