Wetherspoon pubs ban customers from filming with Meta spy glᴀsses

Customers at Wetherspoons pubs have been banned from using the recording function on Meta glᴀsses amid fears the devices are being used to secretly film people. 

The so-called ‘spy glᴀsses’, of which Kardashian business mogul Kylie Jenner has her own range, feature a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, open-ear speakers and integrated Meta AI, all of which allows users to record from their eyeline in public discreetly. 

But the glᴀsses’ spying functions have now been banned from being used inside Wetherspoons venues over privacy concerns. 

The popular boozer said it does not allow the filming of customers or employees without consent, and said ‘Meta glᴀsses seem to breach this code, and common sense, by enabling surrepтιтious surveillance’. 

Customers will be told to ‘turn off the cameras’ if they want to enter any more of its more than 800 venues across the UK. 

Tim Martin, chief executive of Wetherspoons, said: ‘The general code that applies in our pubs, and most pubs, is that you can’t film customers or employees without their permission. 

‘Meta glᴀsses seem to breach this code, and common sense, by enabling surrepтιтious surveillance, so our instinct is to say turn off the cameras. 

‘This is akin to our efforts to stop audible playing of videos in our pubs, which also invades people’s space.’ 

Despite privacy concerns, the glᴀsses have only continued to expand, with the latest collaboration featuring a range by Kylie Jenner (pictured)

Wetherspoons has become the latest UK venue to ban customers from wearing the AI glᴀsses 

The glᴀsses, designed by American Silicon Valley boss Mark Zuckerberg and ranging from £247 to £379 in price, have already faced a tide of backlash for their invasive ‘spy’ features. 

Women and children are particularly vulnerable groups, domestic abuse charities have warned, as the glᴀsses could aid stalkers and abusers. 

It also emerged earlier this year that the footage recorded on the glᴀsses was sometimes reviewed by data workers thousands of miles away – including footage of people getting undressed, sitting on the toilet and even having Sєx. 

While Meta promised that safeguards are in place to prevent surrepтιтious filming, other UK venues have banned them from even being worn. 

Theatres, high-end restaurants and pub chains like Wetherspoons have all banned the glᴀsses to protect the privacy of staff and customers. 

Restaurateur Jeremy King, the owner of London venues including Simpsons in the Strand, Arlington and The Park, told the Guardian his guests should not wear the recording glᴀsses. 

He said: ‘I would never knowingly allow any invasion of guest privacy other than with the eyes we were born with.’ 

But the glᴀsses, which debuted in 2021, have only expanded, with sales tripling in the last year to more than 7million being sold globally. 

The latest range featured a collaboration with 28-year-old billionaire Kylie Jenner, priced at £359 and even allowing users to play ‘Rise and Shine’ in the morning. 

Soho House’s private members’ clubs have also banned the glᴀsses from being worn, with a spokesperson saying that since filming is not allowed in their venues, Meta’s devices are no exception. 

ATG Theatres, which owns the Bristol Hippodrome, Edinburgh Playhouse and venues across London, said filming is not allowed and Meta glᴀsses wearers will be asked to remove them. 

The glᴀsses resemble normal eyewear, but have tiny cameras embedded inside. They are advertised as allowing users to stay ‘in the moment’ without constantly looking down at a phone. 

Meta said that the tiny, flashing LED light that activates on the glᴀsses when they are being used to film makes people aware they are being filmed. 

A Meta spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘People use our glᴀsses because they’re helpful and let them stay in the moment, from listening to music to live translation or hands-free calls. 

‘They also provide critical new technology for people who are low-sighted or hard of hearing and limiting how people can use this technology would be a major step backwards. 

‘Naturally some places shouldn’t be filmed at all and that’s reasonable but rules should be applied consistently. 

‘Our glᴀsses have a light that turns on to let people know when a pH๏τo or video is taken, something smartphones and other cameras don’t have.’