Samsung launches smart glasses - but only in countries with little data protection
At its major smartphone and smartwatch keynote, Samsung showcased smart glasses. They will first be released in the USA and England, where data protection concerns are lower.
How do I make the smart glasses category a success? Samsung has solutions for the technical side. The smart glasses developed with Google are hardly distinguishable from conventional glasses. In the first generation, the manufacturer is still doing without a screen, which is expected to come in the next generation. Instead, the company relies on voice control, gesture control, and Google's AI assistant Gemini. Microphones, speakers, and a camera are built in for this purpose.
The glasses are intended for functions such as live translation, navigation, recording photos, videos or voice notes, and accessing AI assistants.
Samsung has introduced four different glasses designs and plans to offer a whole portfolio of shapes and colors by the end of the year. The smart glasses are designed for everyday use, so the battery lasts about nine hours. The device can be charged seven times in the charging case. This makes the model very similar to glasses from Meta and Ray Ban – and brings with it the same problems.
Recording light cannot be switched off
Probably no coincidence: Samsung is launching the smart glasses this year, but has only announced them for the USA and England so far. Although the manufacturer does not confirm this, it is likely that too many questions remain unanswered for the EU and Switzerland.
Do such glasses comply with all data protection and privacy rules? How is misuse prevented? How do manufacturers build trust that such gadgets are also socially accepted?
Samsung tries to answer the questions at least partially. For example, the camera is not hidden – on the contrary: if it is active, an LED lights up. If this is covered or otherwise manipulated, the camera function switches off. Recordings also only work when the glasses are worn on the face. At least that's what the manufacturer promises. Samsung does not want to integrate facial recognition, even if it would be technically possible without problems. However, the manufacturer strictly opposes such functions.
Resistance against "pervert glasses"
Is that enough? The opposing trend can already be observed today: anyone who wears smart glasses runs the risk of being accosted or even insulted for it. The devices are considered "pervert glasses", also because some men use Meta Smart Glasses to illegally film women and document unpleasant flirtation attempts for social media. Meta has now recognized the problem and wants to block secretly filmed content on the platform.
Such misuse can probably never be prevented – but it can be made more difficult. Samsung's non-deactivatable recording light is a first, small step. In Korea, for example, there has been a legal obligation since the advent of camera phones: all devices that can record photos or videos must play a shutter sound. In Japan, telecommunications companies voluntarily agreed to similar rules.
What do you think of smart glasses? What regulations would make sense to prevent misuse? Write it in the comments.
Gadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
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