Four in five people want camera glasses banned in public places, research suggests.
A survey of 1,000 UK adults commissioned by camera-free smart glasses company Even Realities found that 81% of respondents support a ban on the devices, while 92% believe they pose a privacy risk.
The findings come as part of the company's No More Camera Glasses campaign.
A further 88% of those surveyed said new laws should be introduced to address the use of camera glasses in public.
The research also identified specific areas of concern.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) worried about children being recorded, while 44% feared footage could be shared online without consent.
Privacy concerns were highest in certain public and private spaces.
Eighty-two per cent of respondents said they would be uncomfortable being filmed in public toilets, and 81% said the same about changing rooms.
Concerns extended to parks and playgrounds (64%), gyms (61%), and workplaces.
More than eight in 10 (83%) believe workplaces should be able to ban camera glasses, while 81% support businesses having the right to prohibit them on their premises.
Seventy per cent of those surveyed said they would feel uncomfortable dating someone who wore camera glasses.
To raise awareness of the issue, Even Realities unveiled a public art installation on Berwick Street in Soho, London, on October 13.
The display featured human-like heads equipped with mock camera glasses and CCTV-style lenses in their eyes, designed to confront passers-by with the reality of being recorded without consent.
Will Wang, founder and CEO of Even Realities, said: "Smart glasses don’t need cameras now.
"While there are benefits in how they enable devices to collate visual context, the privacy trade-offs – for both the user and those around them – mean cameras should never have progressed past the blueprint without proper guardrails.
"This stance isn’t anti-tech, it’s pro-privacy.
"It’s an argument for being deliberate about which version of this technology becomes the default."
Even Realities has also released a film titled The Watchers, featuring the human surveillance heads as a way to further highlight the risks of camera-equipped smart glasses.
Mr Wang has published an open letter calling on the technology industry, policymakers, and businesses to start a formal conversation about the future of camera-enabled eyewear.
He said that the public should consider whether such devices should be accepted at all, and if so, how they should be regulated.
Do you think smart glasses should be banned? Let us know in the comments.
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