French Prosecutors Investigate Women Secretly Filmed With Smart Glasses
PARIS, FRANCE — September 23, 2026

French prosecutors have opened several investigations after receiving complaints about women being filmed in public without their consent using camera-equipped smart glasses.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said the complaints involved potential violations of privacy linked to the use of smart glasses. Authorities said the investigations come amid a growing trend on social media in which women are secretly recorded and the footage is later published online.

Women Targeted in Social Media Videos
According to e-Enfance, a French organization that operates a national hotline for victims of online abuse, around 20 reports had been received by September 8 involving women filmed with smart glasses.

The organization said the incidents often follow a similar pattern. A content creator approaches a woman or girl in a public place while discreetly recording her with smart glasses.

The footage may then be posted on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram or X, sometimes resulting in ridicule, abusive comments and threats directed at the person filmed.

One case involved a teenage girl who was reportedly filmed in Paris during a street music festival. After the video was shared online, she received hateful comments and death threats, according to e-Enfance.

Smart Glasses Raise New Privacy Concerns
Smart glasses can perform many functions, including taking photographs, recording video, making calls, translating text and interacting with artificial intelligence.

Meta’s smart glasses, developed with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica, have become particularly popular. Meta sold about 7 million pairs in 2025, while other technology companies including Google and Snap are also developing or preparing AI-powered glasses.

The technology has created a new privacy challenge because the devices can record people without the same obvious visual cues associated with holding a smartphone or camera.

The glasses include a small light intended to indicate when recording is taking place, but privacy advocates argue that the indicator does not mean a person has consented to being filmed or having the footage distributed online.

Criminal Investigations Underway
Under French law, certain forms of non-consensual recording can carry a penalty of up to two years in prison and a €45,000 fine.

Prosecutors said some investigations could also involve sexual-assault offences if filming was accompanied by non-consensual sexual contact.

Paris prosecutors have also asked their cybercrime division to test smart glasses to determine whether the technology could facilitate other offences.

The investigation comes as authorities and technology companies around the world grapple with how to protect privacy as AI-powered wearable devices become more common.

Meta has said it has built privacy protections into its smart glasses and continues to strengthen those safeguards as the devices become more capable.

The Paris investigations remain ongoing.

Sources: Reuters; AFP; The Straits Times; Paris Prosecutor’s Office.