«Voyeur glasses»: this review’s a moral dilemma for me

Lorenz Keller

21.9.2026

Translation: Megan Cornish

Pictures: Darina Schweizer

I received a pair of smart glasses from Rokid to review. I’m fascinated by the technology, but the camera and data protection issues put me in a moral dilemma.

Smart glasses with cameras are stirring up controversy. In Switzerland, 17,000 people have already signed a petition calling on the Swiss Federal Council to ban them. Green Party National Councillor Gerhard Andrey is working on a proposal for a moratorium (article in German). In Germany, the Center for Digital Rights and Democracy (website in German) has collected over 190,000 signatures with the same goal. And even reputable tech publications such as Heise are already referring to them as «voyeur glasses».

The main reason these glasses have a questionable reputation is that they’re being used to covertly take photos and videos without consent, which are then posted on social media. The perpetrators are mostly men, and the victims filmed against their will are mostly women. Sometimes they’re «only» observed from a distance or approached on the street, but sometimes they’re harassed and pressured. The victims don’t consent to these recordings being posted. No wonder – they don’t even realise they’re being filmed.

My dilemma

I received the Rokid Glasses from the manufacturer for testing purposes. This poses a dilemma for me: should I even try them out, since I think they’re problematic for various reasons? Generally speaking, I think I should. A critical test is essential to form an opinion on this subject.

It goes without saying that I only use these glasses within legal boundaries. And I’m also aware that simply wearing smart glasses can be an issue for others. Even if I haven’t activated the camera function and I’m just listening to music, getting directions or wearing the glasses with corrective lenses because I can’t see otherwise. It’s still possible that I could take photos or videos unnoticed. This thought is unsettling for a lot of people.

AR glasses

EUR609,–

Rokid RV101

1

I’m one of them. The feeling that I could be filmed at any time? Having to constantly look around for suspicious glasses? I don’t want that for myself or others, so I definitely won’t wear the Rokid ones when other people are around – unless I’ve told them about the test beforehand.

But I also believe that society’s democratic structures need a consistent approach to technologies like this, which have a high potential for misuse. Should glasses like these be banned altogether? Or only in sensitive locations such as swimming pools? Should manufacturers be required to ensure that recording is clearly recognisable? Before the test, I want to clarify some fundamental questions – for myself.

A light usually flashes on the frame of the glasses when the camera’s recording, although it’s easy to deactivate on some models. Japan offers a possible solution: by law there, every smartphone has to make a loud click or a shutter sound every time the camera takes a photo. All manufacturers comply, but there are clearly ways to circumvent the regulation.

The data protection issue

Amidst all the discussion about voyeuristic glasses, there’s something else that’s almost overlooked. Each pair of these glasses collects data. Providers including Meta also use this data to train their AI models. «Svenska Dagbladet» revealed that Facebook not only automatically analyses videos from the private lives of glasses users; it also tasks employees in Kenya with doing it.

This means that AI glasses endanger both the privacy of others and your own. And there’s considerable potential for misuse when it comes to data protection. For me, this means the test has to go beyond the technical features and requires a more in-depth examination of the topic.

And my test?

I’ve made my decision: as long as smart glasses use is being discussed so intensely in our country, I won’t wear them in public.

Nevertheless, I want to know why so many people are fascinated by these glasses and why Meta sold over seven million units last year. Where can I use glasses like these? What are some practical applications? What are the features for people with visual impairments? I’ll only find out by testing the smart glasses in the coming weeks.

Lorenz Keller

Senior Editor

Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.ch

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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