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Technology · Europe

Reviewer says anxiety eased while wearing Meta glasses in Kos

A reviewer wore Ray-Ban Meta Glasses in public during a holiday in Kos and said their initial anxiety eased the longer they wore them. The reviewer said the glasses resemble ordinary sunglasses, with small cameras on each side.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 2 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 1 of 2 outletsHow it's made

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2 outletsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Too few ratedL 0 · C 1 · R 0 · 1 unrated
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What happened

Key facts

  • The reviewer wore Ray-Ban Meta Glasses during a holiday in Kos and said their anxiety eased the longer they wore them (per romfordrecorder.co.uk).
  • The reviewer said the glasses look like ordinary sunglasses, apart from small cameras on each side (per romfordrecorder.co.uk).
  • JD Wetherspoon has banned Meta Glasses and other smart glasses in all its UK pubs (per romfordrecorder.co.uk).
  • Norway is planning to ban the glasses in public places (per romfordrecorder.co.uk).
  • The article says the United States has limited the glasses’ use (per romfordrecorder.co.uk).
  • The reviewer said Ray-Ban Meta Glasses can cost from £247 to £749 (per romfordrecorder.co.uk).
  • The reviewer said a light turns on when the glasses take a photo or video (per romfordrecorder.co.uk).

The brief

A reviewer who wore Ray-Ban Meta Glasses in public during a holiday in Kos said their initial anxiety eased the longer they wore them. The reviewer described concern about wearing the glasses outside, amid what they called a recent backlash over Meta Glasses.

The account, published by the Romford Recorder, says the reviewer took a Wayfarer model on the holiday to see what wearing the glasses in public would be like. The reviewer wondered whether other people would think they were being recorded. They said they were initially anxious, then felt more at ease as they continued wearing the glasses.

The reviewer described the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses as resembling ordinary sunglasses, with small cameras on either side. They also said a light turns on when the glasses capture a photo or video. The account does not describe whether anyone noticed the glasses, asked the reviewer about them or objected to their use.

The Romford Recorder says JD Wetherspoon has banned Meta Glasses and other smart glasses in all its pubs across the UK. It also says Norway is planning to prohibit the glasses in public places, and that the United States has limited their use. The account gives no further details about the scope or implementation of those restrictions.

The reviewer said they searched online for whether Meta Glasses were banned in Greece or Kos, seeking reassurance that they would not face a fine or arrest. The account does not say that either place had banned the glasses or that the reviewer was fined, arrested or approached by authorities.

The article puts the glasses’ price at between £247 and £749 and describes them as potentially expensive, particularly for someone seeking a newer model. The reviewer’s account focuses on their own unease and the appearance of the glasses; it does not report a broader survey of public reactions or establish how other people perceived the devices.

Why it matters

  • For the reviewer, the concrete concern was being perceived as recording others while wearing the glasses in public; they said their anxiety eased with continued wear.
  • The recording indicator is a specific feature the reviewer described: a light turns on when the glasses take a photo or video.
  • JD Wetherspoon’s UK-wide pub ban and Norway’s planned public-place ban show restrictions relevant to where the glasses may be used.
  • The stated £247-to-£749 price range may be a cost consideration for buyers, especially those looking for a newer model.

What to watch next

  • Whether Norway proceeds with its planned ban on the glasses in public places.
  • How JD Wetherspoon applies its ban on Meta Glasses and other smart glasses in its UK pubs.
  • What limits the United States has placed on use of the glasses.
  • Whether the reviewer’s reported easing of anxiety corresponds with how other members of the public react to the glasses.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
2 source articles · 2 unique outlets
Outlet political mix: Too few rated· 1 Center · 1 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Europe 100%
Outlet political mix
Too few rated
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
1 outlet
0 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 1 unrated outlet is not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
2 unique outletsDominant coverage: Europe
Limited coverage
  • Coverage is currently limited to 2 outlets.
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

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Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. Google began selling Glass to selected developers in 2013, and public criticism included the nickname “Glasshole” for wearers.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. Google ended the Explorer program in January 2015, though it continued developing Glass for workplace uses.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. The European Union adopted the General Data Protection Regulation.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. The United Kingdom’s Data Protection Act 2018 received royal assent on May 23, 2018, and supplements the UK’s data-protection framework.
    Background · from our historical context
  5. The partnership grew out of Facebook’s September 2019 announcement that it was working with EssilorLuxottica on smart glasses.
    Background · from our historical context
  6. The immediate product predecessor to the glasses reviewed in Kos was Ray-Ban Stories, the first smart-glasses collaboration between Facebook and eyewear company EssilorLuxottica, released on September 9, 2021.
    Background · from our historical context
  7. Facebook changed its corporate name to Meta on October 28, 2021, as it expanded its focus on virtual and augmented reality.
    Background · from our historical context
  8. On September 27, 2023, Meta introduced Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, a second-generation model with improved cameras, audio and livestreaming features.
    Background · from our historical context

How we got here

The immediate product predecessor to the glasses reviewed in Kos was Ray-Ban Stories, the first smart-glasses collaboration between Facebook and eyewear company EssilorLuxottica, released on September 9, 2021.

The glasses included cameras and a light intended to signal when someone was recording; Meta and Ray-Ban said the indicator was designed to help people nearby recognize when capture was taking place. On September 27, 2023, Meta introduced Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, a second-generation model with improved cameras, audio and livestreaming features.

Original sources

2 articles from 2 outlets

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