"German advocacy group lodges criminal complaint over Meta AI glasses", 12 August 2026

A German advocacy group has filed a criminal complaint ‌against Meta and other companies selling the technology group's AI glasses in Germany, arguing the devices violate privacy laws. Digital rights group HateAid said in a statement on Wednesday that the launch of the devices, the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer in particular, ​broke German digital privacy laws, in the latest sign of legal scrutiny in a nation ​where the right to privacy is highly valued.

The organisation reported the management of Meta, units of spectacles maker EssilorLuxottica, including ​Ray-Ban, as well as retailers Fielmann, Apollo-Optik, Mister Spex and MediaMarkt to the Frankfurt-based digital crime prosecution unit ZIT.

HateAid said its complaint was based on a federal digital data protection law that prohibits the sale of communication devices designed ​to film people without them noticing.

MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group said ‌it ⁠was taking the complaint very seriously, adding that its suppliers had contractual obligations for all goods to be compliant with the law.

Mister Spex said it had not been officially notified of a complaint and that it was taking protection of privacy very seriously.

The other companies did not immediately respond to requests for ​comment.