Austria to investigate use of smart glasses in parliamentary inquiry over privacy concerns

Austria will launch a parliamentary inquiry into the use of smart glasses amid rising concerns about privacy, the country’s Secretary of State for Digitalisation said on Wednesday.

Alexander Pröll unveiled a three-stage framework to regulate smart glasses, which may include built-in cameras, microphones and artificial intelligence features.

Under the proposed framework, recording would be prohibited in sensitive locations such as schools, kindergartens, changing rooms, toilets, courts, prisons, and police and military facilities. Recordings in public places would also need to be clearly noticeable to others.

Pröll said the parliamentary inquiry would involve experts in science, data protection and technology, alongside representatives of people affected by the use of smart glasses.

He rejected the idea of imposing a complete ban on the devices, saying the government wanted to support technological advancement while preventing people from being filmed without their knowledge.

He also called for manufacturers to ensure that recordings were clearly identifiable through features such as visible indicator lights and audible signals.

Meanwhile, nearly 25,000 people have signed a petition demanding a ban on smart glasses.

The Vienna city government also called on federal authorities last week to consider prohibiting the devices on public transport and in government offices and schools.