25 August 2026
UK cinemas consider banning Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses over piracy fears
First reported
The Guardian ran this on , 5 days before the next source picked it up.
- UK Cinema Association says member theaters may restrict camera-enabled smart glasses to prevent covert film recording and piracy.
- Meta's Ray-Ban glasses cost £359 and have a flashing LED that activates during recording, but critics call them surveillance tools.
- The glasses can help people with hearing or vision loss through features like customized subtitles, creating a tension between access and privacy.
- Theater chains including ATG Theatres and pub chain Wetherspoon have already announced they will ask customers to remove the glasses.
How it was covered
The NeuronPete Huang & Grant Harvey
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency banned staff from wearing Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses on the job after agents were repeatedly spotted wearing them during immigration raids.
Reported by The Guardian