Movie theaters in Britain have begun self-regulating camera-equipped smart glasses, including Meta's artificial intelligence (AI) glasses. As concerns grow over illegal filming and privacy invasion, theaters have started to introduce policies that either ban smart glasses or restrict their use.
On the 20th (local time), according to Reuters, the UK Cinema Association said British theater operators are introducing policies that ban or restrict smart glasses with camera functions. Meta's AI-based smart glasses are included in the policies' scope.
There is no rule applied uniformly across the entire British cinema industry. Policies differ by theater, with each operator setting its own bans or restrictions.
The core reason theaters are moving to restrict smart glasses is their recording capability. Smart glasses can take photos or videos using cameras mounted on the frames. From a theater's perspective, it is hard to rule out the possibility that this function could be used to illegally record movies being shown, and there is also the issue that it could invade other patrons' privacy. The UK Cinema Association cited privacy protection and concerns about illegal movie recording as the background for the move.
Debate over the recording function of smart glasses is also emerging outside theaters. Courts in England and Wales this month banned the use of Meta's AI glasses in courtrooms due to restrictions on taking photos and videos. In Germany, a civic group early this month filed a criminal complaint against Meta and companies involved in selling the device, citing laws related to personal data protection.
In Korea, exam regulations are being tightened as AI glasses emerge as a new means of cheating. In May, three test takers were caught cheating with AI glasses during the national technical qualification exams for electrical industry engineer and firefighting facilities engineer, and two test takers were also caught in succession during the TOEIC exam. In response, the Ministry of Education sent an official notice to metropolitan and provincial education offices to include AI glasses among prohibited items and to closely watch for unnatural behavior.
That said, it is also difficult to impose a blanket ban on smart glasses. The UK Cinema Association acknowledged that smart glasses can help people who need specific accessibility support. It said it will continue to work with member companies to ensure responses remain appropriate to circumstances and not excessive.
As restrictions on smart glasses emerge in places such as theaters, courts and exam halls, and as legal issues over privacy are raised, there is a growing debate over how far to allow the use of smart glasses. In particular, while ensuring the devices' convenience and accessibility, how to prevent side effects such as illegal recording and privacy invasion is coming to the fore as a new challenge.