Personal tech
Pub chain says turn off the cameras, reminds punters not to blare sound from phone vids either
Wetherspoons has stopped short of banning Meta-style smart glasses from its pubs, but told The Register that customers should switch off their cameras and refrain from filming."Like many hospitality companies, Wetherspoon has CCTV cameras for security reasons, but their use is strictly controlled by data legislation," a spokesperson said."Apart from that, the general code that applies in our pubs, and most pubs, is that you can't film customers or employees without their permission.
"Meta glasses seem to breach this code, and common sense, by enabling surreptitious surveillance, so our instinct is to say turn off the cameras. This is akin to our efforts to stop audible playing of videos in our pubs, which also invades people's space."
The Register asked whether customers who refused to stop recording would be ejected, but Wetherspoons declined to elaborate.Wetherspoons' statement suggests that recording, rather than merely wearing the glasses during a wallet-friendly session, would attract the attention of security staff.The policy is therefore less strict than those adopted by venues and events that have banned recording glasses outright over privacy concerns.DEF CON, which concluded last week, was the latest in a series of organizations to issue outright bans on Meta-style recording glasses, even for those who use them with prescription lenses.Conference organizers told delegates to pack "non-violating eyewear" if they needed them.Monopoly Events, which runs UK Comic Cons among other events, recently imposed a ban after talent agencies and guests raised concerns about privacy and the effect of covert recording on personal interactions.Scottish ferry operator CalMac also temporarily suspended unplanned visits to ships' bridges after a passenger made crew members feel uncomfortable during a crossing in June.Restaurateur Jeremy King, who owns London's Arlington, The Park, and Simpson's in the Strand, has said the glasses should not be worn in his establishments.
