Hans Anders stops selling Meta camera glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium
Optician chain Hans Anders has stopped selling Ray-Ban Meta glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium amid a privacy debate.
Photo: Kaboompics / Pexels
Hans Anders, one of the largest optician chains in the Netherlands, has stopped selling Meta’s camera glasses with immediate effect. Dutch broadcaster NOS reported the move on 1 October 2026, and Belgian broadcaster VRT confirmed on 2 October that the halt also covers the chain’s Belgian stores.
Hans Anders waits for the debate on Meta’s glasses to settle
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses look like normal frames but carry a small camera and an AI assistant. Hans Anders told VRT it wants to wait for the public and political discussion about how they may be used. It will look again at sales once that debate ends.
Pressure has grown in the Netherlands. NOS reports that hospitals and the defence ministry have raised concerns, and the glasses have picked up the nickname “spy glasses”. Online retailer Wehkamp has also removed them. The glasses are still sold elsewhere, including at Bol, Pearle and AS Adventure in Belgium.
Consumentenbond gives Meta until 13 October
The Dutch consumer association Consumentenbond and partner groups have told Meta to meet privacy rules by 13 October or face a lawsuit, VRT reports. The Dutch Data Protection Authority has warned that filming people with the glasses is almost always forbidden unless the footage stays strictly private. It says the small recording light is not enough of a warning.
In Belgium, privacy minister Vanessa Matz said the glasses raise “legitimate questions” about privacy and safety. The European Data Protection Board is preparing a report on the technology this autumn. Meta did not comment to either broadcaster.
Meta faces privacy fights on several fronts
The glasses are part of Meta’s push to put its AI into everyday products, from wearables to Muse, an agent that can shop and pay. Its data practices are also under pressure in court: a Lagos court ruled its behavioural ads broke Nigerian law this week.
The next date to watch is 13 October. If Meta has not answered the Consumentenbond by then, the dispute may move to court, and other Dutch retailers will have to decide whether to follow Hans Anders and Wehkamp.