IgnoredBy mocks covert smart glasses filming in costume

IgnoredBy has launched a Halloween costume campaign targeting people who use smart glasses to film others without consent. It centres on concerns about privacy and harassment linked to camera-equipped eyewear.

The anti-scam group's Founder, Jonny Stanton, created a satirical outfit called the "Meta Glasses Creeper" to highlight covert filming in public spaces. Packaged like a novelty fancy-dress product, it features a man in black smart glasses alongside the tagline: "Spotted. Filmed. Reported."

The packaging lists fictional features including "sneaky smile", "creepy vibes" and "zero respect for boundaries". Using humour, the campaign taps into a wider debate over whether discreet recording devices are making it easier to film people in public without their knowledge.

It comes amid broader scrutiny of smart glasses sold by Meta, which have faced criticism in online discussions and news reports over privacy risks. Concerns have focused on cases in which people were allegedly filmed in secret and the footage then posted to social media without consent, including incidents involving women and girls.

Questions over the technology have also prompted some venues to impose restrictions. In the UK, JD Wetherspoon pubs have banned Meta smart glasses, while other hospitality, entertainment and legal venues have taken similar steps over fears of covert video recording.

Similar restrictions have been considered in Norway, where temporary limits in some public places have been cited. The issue has fed into a broader discussion about how wearable cameras should be treated when they are less visible than smartphones.

Unlike a phone held up to take a photo or video, smart glasses can resemble ordinary eyewear, making it harder for bystanders to know when recording is happening. That has sharpened concerns about consent, particularly in everyday settings where people may not expect to be filmed.

Critics argue that the ability to capture and share footage discreetly creates new risks for privacy and personal safety. Women and girls are seen as facing particular concerns because covert recording can be linked to unwanted attention, objectification and harassment.

Stanton said the campaign was designed to make those anxieties more visible through satire rather than formal policy language. "Technology should make our lives better, not make it easier for people to secretly film, harass or intimidate others. The 'Meta Glasses Creeper' hopefully makes a serious point: just because you can record someone doesn't mean you have the right to," said Jonny Stanton, anti-scam campaigner and Founder of IgnoredBy.

The costume is intended to provoke discussion about where the line should be drawn between personal technology and the rights of people in public spaces. Its message is that the presence of recording technology does not remove the need for consent or social boundaries.

IgnoredBy has previously campaigned on issues connected to Meta, including what it describes as a lack of human support on Instagram for people dealing with scams, identity theft and emotional harm. That campaign, using the hashtag #IgnoredByInsta, was launched last year to highlight concerns over accountability on the platform.

According to the group, an outdoor advertising push linked to that earlier effort was blocked after sites had been selected and costs discussed. It said advertisers feared upsetting Meta.

The latest campaign shifts the focus from platform support to the real-world effects of wearable technology. Its central argument is that smart glasses may have legitimate uses, but the same devices can also be used in ways that leave bystanders feeling watched without warning.

As debate over smart eyewear widens, campaigners and venue operators are weighing whether existing norms on photography and video recording are enough to deal with devices that are far less obvious than a phone camera. The costume campaign reflects growing concern that privacy rules and social expectations have not kept pace with discreet recording tools.

The mock warning signs on the packaging mention secretly recording people and sharing private moments, underlining concerns that footage captured without permission can be uploaded, redistributed or used to embarrass or intimidate those shown in it.