Updated:
Dutch eyewear retailer Hans Anders has suspended sales of Meta’s camera-equipped smart glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium, citing public and political debate over privacy and the circumstances in which the technology can be used. The company said on Friday, October 2, that the glasses were no longer available in its stores or online, and that the suspension would remain in place while it awaited greater clarity.
The decision gives a major regional retailer a direct response to growing scrutiny of wearable cameras. Hans Anders said it would reassess whether and how the products could return to its range once the debate and any resulting measures become clearer. It did not announce a date for a review or say that sales would definitely resume.
Sales paused pending further clarity
A Hans Anders spokesperson said the move followed ongoing public and political discussions about smart glasses and questions about the conditions under which the technology can be used. Dutch coverage reported that the chain had sold limited numbers of the glasses, which cost at least 419 euros on its website.
The pause applies to the Netherlands and Belgium, according to Reuters. Hans Anders is part of Nexeye, an optical retail group that operates 776 stores across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Sweden. Reuters reported that the glasses were not sold in Nexeye’s stores in the latter three countries.
Recording features at the center of concern
Meta’s glasses, developed with Ray-Ban, resemble conventional eyewear but include cameras and microphones. They allow wearers to take photos and videos hands-free, make calls and listen to music. A light on the front blinks when the camera records, according to product descriptions and Meta’s statement reported by Reuters.
Meta said the indicator cannot be turned off and that the camera is disabled if someone covers or tampers with it. The company also said it was continuing to develop the product. Those safeguards have not ended the wider debate about whether bystanders can readily tell when they are being filmed, particularly in everyday public settings.
Pressure from Dutch groups and lawmakers
The retailer’s decision came amid calls in the Netherlands for stronger limits on the glasses. Consumer organization Consumentenbond said it would take Meta to court unless the company changed the product to comply with privacy law. Offlimits, which works to combat online abuse, urged Meta and Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica to voluntarily remove the glasses from sale until covert recording could be prevented, Reuters reported.
The Dutch House of Representatives has also called for a concrete ban on what local debate has dubbed “peeping glasses,” according to Dutch reporting. Separately, the Dutch privacy regulator warned in September that recordings made with smart glasses showing identifiable people generally cannot be shared or published without their permission—a requirement that can be difficult to meet in public places.
Return to stores remains uncertain
Hans Anders has not said what specific regulatory or political outcome would be sufficient for it to resume sales. Its spokesperson said the retailer would decide later what place, if any, the product should have in its assortment. No timetable for that decision has been announced.
The suspension is a retail decision, not a government order to withdraw the product. Meta and EssilorLuxottica had not announced a change to the glasses’ availability or features in response to Hans Anders’ move in the reporting available on Friday. Reuters reported that EssilorLuxottica could not immediately be reached for comment.
