Man arrested in Barcelona for recording women without consent using smart glasses
Spanish police arrested a man in Barcelona who used Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to record hundreds of women in public without consent and posted the videos on social media to sell a seduction course. One victim's video went viral with over 700,000 views, and police found no evidence any woman was aware she was being filmed.
What happened
The Policía Nacional detained a man in Barcelona for recording women in public spaces without consent using smart glasses. He recorded 329 videos and subsequently published 239 of them on TikTok and Instagram to promote a 3,000-euro seduction course.
A woman whose video received over 700,000 views reported the man after he approached her on the street, engaged her in conversation, and later attempted to kiss her twice and made unwanted physical contact. She was not informed that she was being recorded. Police analysed 239 videos and found no gesture or comment from any woman indicating she knew she was being filmed.
Reported impact
Women in Barcelona were recorded without consent and had their images published on social media as part of a commercial scheme. One victim's video reached 700,000 views on TikTok and she suffered unwanted physical contact from the perpetrator.
The incident highlights that the recording light (LED) on the Ray-Ban Meta glasses can easily be obscured with tape, enabling covert filming in violation of device terms of use.
Index analysis
The man used Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to record women, likely with the camera's LED indicator concealed to avoid detection. Police noted that Ray-Ban Meta glasses include a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and five microphones, enabling high-quality audio and video capture.
Under Spanish Penal Code Article 197.1, recording without consent constitutes a violation of privacy punishable by one to four years imprisonment and fines. Publishing such videos to third parties carries sentences of two to five years imprisonment.
Governance controls
Meta initially released Ray-Ban Meta glasses without any recording indicator, but later updated them to include a white LED light that activates during recording. However, the LED can be easily obscured with black tape, a violation of the device's terms of use that the company has not technically prevented.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.