Due To Worries About Piracy, UK Theaters Are Limiting Meta AI and Other Smart Eyewear

Citing privacy and film piracy concerns, the UK Cinema Association announced on Thursday that cinema operators in Britain are implementing measures to exclude or restrict camera-enabled smart glasses, including Meta’s (META.O), opens new tab AI-powered eyewear.

The action comes after courts in England and Wales banned Meta smart glasses last month due to limitations on capturing pictures and videos in court, raising concerns about smart glasses’ recording capabilities.

Venue-specific policies differ, with operators imposing limits and/or prohibitions instead of a single industry-wide guideline.

Operators acknowledge that smart glasses can help people with certain access needs, according to the UK Cinema Association.

According to the association, it will keep collaborating with members to make sure its strategy “remains relevant and proportionate.”

In other news, a German advocacy group announced earlier in August that it had filed a criminal case, citing privacy regulations, against Meta and other parties engaged in the sale of the Meta devices.

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