Smart glasses: the phenomenon is gaining momentum, and the courts are looking into the matter

In its press release dated 8 September 2026, the e-Enfance / 3018 Association warned about the’unintended use of glasses fitted with a camera and reported a around twenty reports of women being filmed without their knowledge since the start of the year. The 3018 helpline, a national service for victims or witnesses of digital violence, has now recorded around thirty reports. Following these reports, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office has taken up the matter, marking the’the launch of several criminal investigations.

Filmed without their knowledge, posted online 

In public spaces, women are filmed without their knowledge using glasses fitted with a camera. These videos, which quickly go viral on social media, particularly on TikTok, draw on the conventions of entertainment through pranks or street interviews. When broadcast without consent, these images lead to waves of violence and cyberbullying : insults, misogyny, threats and cyberattacks. For Inès Legendre, the Association’s Head of Advocacy, the consequences are particularly severe: «They are humiliated, and some are even threatened with death on social media.» (The World).  

This content, which is sometimes shared by masculinist accounts or those making misogynistic comments – thereby increasing its reach and the victims’ exposure – contributes to gender-based and sexual violence online. The thirty or so reports recorded by 3018 would therefore represent only «the tip of the iceberg», according to Inès Legendre in The World.

From the initial report to the criminal investigation

Following reports from 3018, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched investigations after several complaints were lodged by women who had been filmed in the street. It refers to a «growing trend on social media» and states that the investigations are focusing in particular on incidents that may constitute a invasion of privacy. Publishing another person’s image or words online without their consent may be punishable by law. In some cases, the courts have launched investigations into « »sexual assault' when the videos show non-consensual sexual acts.

The lack of consent remains at the heart of the issue. Inès Legendre told AFP, that «Just because a light comes on does not mean that you consent to being filmed or to your image subsequently being shown to thousands of people». The indicator light on the glasses shows that video is being recorded, but does not constitute explicit consent for the recording or broadcasting of the footage. The widespread adoption of these devices raises questions about the emergence of new tools that could be misused to commit or exacerbate cyberviolence sexist and sexual. For the Association, the challenge therefore lies in preventing the misuse of these technologies, protecting people who are filmed without their consent, and placing this social phenomenon within a legal framework. 

Has a picture of you or your child been taken and shared without your consent? Are you a victim of, or a witness to, cyberbullying and online abuse?

Call 3018, a national helpline that is free, confidential, anonymous and available 7 days a week from 9 am to 11 pm. The teams support victims and witnesses of online abuse and work with platforms to facilitate the removal of harmful content. 

📞By telephone on 3018

🗨️Via chat on the 3018 app

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See our media coverage:

Smart glasses: the e-Enfance charity warns of online harassment targeting women on social media | Le Figaro, 10 September

«A new social issue» for women and privacy: why smart glasses, such as the Ray-Ban Meta, are causing concern | Le Monde, 11 September 2026 

«I’m not quite sure what I can do»: should we be concerned about Meta’s glasses and their ability to film without being seen? | Le Télégramme 16 September 2026 

France is investigating the misuse of smart glasses in sexual harassment cases | Reuters 18 September 2026

Smart glasses: several investigations launched in Paris following complaints from women who were filmed in the street | Le Monde, 22 September 2026

Smart glasses: several investigations launched in Paris after women were filmed without their consent – Libération 22 September 2026

Women filmed without their consent using smart glasses: the courts are tackling the issue | AFP, 22 September 2026 

«Often questions with sexual undertones»: smart glasses used to film women without their knowledge; investigations launched | RMC, 23 September 2026

Women filmed in the street without their consent: French authorities investigate connected «pervert glasses» – midilibre.fr 23 September 2026