THE arrival of Meta’s Ray-Ban smartglasses in Jersey poses a “terrifying” threat to privacy, experts have warned.

Former Channel Islands Data Protection Commissioner Emma Martins called for a “grown-up conversation” about the ethical implications of the wearable technology, which is now available in Jersey shops.

The glasses, sold by Vision Express and de Gruchy, allow users to capture first-person footage through a camera built into the frame.

Her comments come as a former minister suggested banning Meta’s Ray-Ban smartglasses in Jersey.

Deputy Kirsten Morel said the glasses risked destroying the trust that existed between Islanders and warned that their cost to the community could be “far too high”.

“It seems to me that Meta glasses destroy the trust that exists between people when interacting with each other,” said Deputy Morel.

“Remove that trust and we’re heading to a very bad place. Maybe we should ban these [smartglasses] in Jersey.”

Ms Martins said the Island needed to be “clear-eyed” about the potential dangers, particularly to women and children.

“We have this sense that because of the borders, and the water that sits around us – and this lovely, beautiful Island – that we’re somehow protected from this,” she said.

“But we’re not, and so we need to be engaging. What I would love to see is some voices across policy and politics talking about this.”

Theatres, restaurants and pubs in the UK have banned the glasses, while courts in England and Wales have said they will be confiscated from anyone entering judicial buildings.

Jersey’s court service told the JEP that the prohibition on recording proceedings “has been extended” to cover Meta glasses, but did not say whether they would be confiscated at the entrance.

Ms Martins welcomed the court’s position but said the Island needed to consider the technology’s wider implications.

“The position is that they are thinking about it in the courtroom, that is absolutely right, but we should be thinking about these glasses more broadly,” she said.

“Yes, we live in a beautiful, safe Island – but if we are selling [smartglasses] on our high street, then our kids are not safe from that stuff.

“So there is that broader societal conversation that weaves in not just parents, and not just teachers, but all Islanders.”

She said the glasses could be less noticeable than a mobile phone and warned that safeguards promoted by manufacturers, including a flashing light designed to indicate when recording is taking place, were “so easy to circumvent”.

Freeda chief executive Kate Wright, who chaired the government’s Violence Against Women and Girls taskforce, also called for an “informed public conversation” about privacy and consent.

“The concern is not the technology itself, nor its many potentially positive uses,” she said.

“It is how easily wearable recording technology could be misused – and the fact that women and girls are likely to experience that misuse disproportionately.”

Ms Wright warned that women and girls could be filmed without their knowledge or meaningful consent, including in places where they had a reasonable expectation of privacy.

“This does not mean the glasses should simply be characterised as ‘spyware’ or rejected outright. Technology can bring real social and accessibility benefits,” she added.

“However, innovation must be accompanied by strong safeguards, clear public information, meaningful consequences for misuse and an informed public conversation about consent.”

Those benefits are already being experienced by visually impaired Islanders.

EYECAN, Jersey’s only sight-impairment charity, described the glasses as “the first mainstream product which has numerous benefits for people living with visual impairment”.

The charity said four or five clients of varying ages were using them to help with everyday tasks, including shopping, reading letters and road signs, and receiving descriptions of their surroundings.

“The impact of these glasses has been transformational in terms of the independence gained for the clients who are using them,” a spokesperson said.

They added that comparable technology had existed for some time, but other products were often bulky and cost up to ten times as much.

Ms Martins acknowledged the “very important” role the glasses could play for visually impaired Islanders, but said those benefits should not distract from the threat posed by “bad actors”.

“If one child, or one woman, or one human being gets affected by this, that’s still a human being, that’s still a child, that’s still a woman, that’s still a girl,” she said.

“And the question is: just because it’s one, does it make it less important than if it’s ten?”

Ms Martins said that Jersey needs to engage in a conversation that is not “anti-tech”, but rather about “clearly articulating what the problem is that this technology is solving”.

“The potential for being surveyed is different in a smaller jurisdiction like ours,” she added.

Vision Express optometrist and dispensing optician Fabien Planeilles said Islanders had been “very enthusiastic” about the glasses, which cost between £379 and £459.

The St Helier store is selling a “few” pairs each week following a “snowball effect” of interest, he said.

“Most people think that they are either too old for it, or that it requires too much tech knowledge, so it has been all about giving them hands-on experience to try it and see that they are quite easy to handle,” explained Mr Planeilles.

Customers concerned about privacy are told about the flashing recording light and directed to terms and conditions on the Ray-Ban website.

“[Smartglasses] would not be a product we would sell if it was breaching any privacy guidelines,” the optometrist added.

“The company [Vision Express] wouldn’t take such a risk as to have a legal suit against them.”