| Recording Indicator | Check whether recording activates a clearly visible front-facing light or other noticeable signal, and whether it can be disabled. | High
People may not realize that video or audio is being captured. | Some privacy laws focus on whether recording is obvious or whether the people recorded have consented. A hidden or disabled indicator can increase legal and ethical risk. | Prefer a conspicuous indicator that remains active during recording and cannot be disabled through ordinary settings. |
| Audio Capture | Determine whether the glasses record sound, whether audio can be turned off, and whether audio is captured automatically with video. | High
Audio can capture private conversations more easily than a visible camera. | Several jurisdictions apply stricter rules to recording conversations. Consent requirements may differ depending on whether one person or all participating parties must consent. | Choose a model with a physical or clearly documented audio-off control; keep audio disabled unless everyone affected agrees. |
| Storage Location | Find out whether files are stored on the glasses, a phone, a memory card, or a remote server. | Medium to High
Remote storage can create additional access, breach, and transfer risks. | Privacy obligations may apply to personal data stored or transferred across borders. The responsible organization should explain where data is processed. | Prefer local storage or end-to-end encrypted transfer, and review the storage location before enabling cloud synchronization. |
| Retention and Deletion | Check how long recordings remain available, whether automatic deletion is offered, and whether deleted files are removed from backups. | Medium
Long retention increases the consequences of loss, theft, or unauthorized access. | Data-minimization principles generally favor retaining identifiable recordings only as long as necessary for a stated purpose. | Set the shortest practical retention period, delete unwanted files promptly, and confirm how permanent deletion works. |
| Facial Recognition and Biometrics | Check whether the device or its companion software identifies faces, voices, emotions, locations, or other biometric information. | High
Biometric data can be particularly sensitive and difficult to change if compromised. | In the European Union and other jurisdictions, biometric processing may receive heightened protection. Consent and other legal requirements can be stricter than for ordinary photographs. | Prefer products without facial recognition or biometric analysis unless there is a clear, lawful, necessary, and transparent purpose. |
| Public and Private Spaces | Review the rules of places where you plan to use the glasses, including homes, schools, medical facilities, workplaces, courts, museums, and secure sites. | High
Recording expectations vary significantly by location. | Being in a public place does not automatically remove all privacy expectations or override venue policies. Private property owners may prohibit recording even where it is technically lawful. | Ask for permission when entering restricted spaces and stop recording whenever signage, staff, or local rules prohibit it. |
| Jurisdiction | Identify the laws that apply where the wearer, the recorded person, and the stored data are located. | High
The same recording may be treated differently across regions. | In the United States, recording and consent rules can vary by state. In the EU and EEA, the GDPR may apply to personal-data processing; the UK has its own UK GDPR framework. Canadian requirements can differ federally and by province. | Check local law before use, especially when recording conversations, transferring data internationally, or using the device for work. |
| Workplace Use | Determine whether an employer requires approval, prohibits wearable cameras, or has a workplace monitoring and bring-your-own-device policy. | High
Recordings may include colleagues, customers, confidential documents, or trade secrets. | Workplace monitoring, employee privacy, confidentiality, and labor rules may apply. Employer permission does not necessarily authorize recording every individual encountered. | Obtain written authorization, use a work-approved account, avoid recording confidential areas, and follow the organization’s retention policy. |
| Children and Vulnerable People | Check whether the device may capture children, patients, residents, or people who may not be able to provide informed consent. | High
Potential harm is greater when people are less able to understand or challenge recording. | Additional child-protection, education, healthcare, safeguarding, or capacity rules may apply. A guardian’s permission may be required in some situations but is not a universal substitute for every legal requirement. | Do not record in schools, healthcare settings, care facilities, or child-focused locations without explicit authorization and a documented purpose. |
| Security Controls | Look for strong account authentication, device locking, encryption in transit and at rest, security updates, and a remote-wipe option. | Medium to High
Weak controls can expose recordings if the glasses or phone are lost. | Organizations processing personal data may have security and breach-notification duties. Consumers should also assess whether the supplier clearly describes security practices. | Use a unique password, multifactor authentication where available, current software, encrypted connections, and a lock screen on the paired phone. |
| Data Sharing and Permissions | Read the privacy notice and app permissions for contacts, location, microphone, camera, cloud storage, analytics, and advertising. | Medium to High
Excessive permissions can reveal more information than the recording itself. | Consent should be informed and specific where required. Privacy notices should explain purposes, recipients, retention, user rights, and international transfers. | Grant only necessary permissions, reject optional advertising or analytics where possible, and review permissions after every major software update. |
| Notice to Bystanders | Assess whether the wearer can easily tell people that recording is active and provide a way to stop recording immediately. | High
Clear notice supports reasonable expectations and reduces accidental collection. | Notice alone may not satisfy a consent requirement, but transparent communication is an important privacy safeguard. | Use verbal notice in private or sensitive settings, respect refusals, and stop recording when a person objects unless a clearly applicable legal basis permits otherwise. |
| Purpose and Necessity | Define why the recording is needed and whether a less intrusive tool, such as written notes or a conventional camera used with notice, would work. | Medium
Unnecessary continuous recording creates avoidable data collection. | Privacy-by-design and data-minimization principles favor collecting only what is necessary for a legitimate, clearly stated purpose. | Use manual recording instead of continuous capture, frame only what is necessary, and avoid recording sensitive conversations or unrelated people. |
| Travel and Border Crossings | Check destination-country rules and whether customs, security, or transport operators restrict camera-enabled wearables. | Medium to High
Travel can expose recordings to inspection, loss, or restrictions. | Airports, government facilities, military sites, and border areas may impose additional recording or device rules. Local law and operator policies can apply separately. | Turn off recording before security screening, follow posted instructions, and avoid using the glasses in restricted or sensitive areas. |
| Evidence and Authenticity | Review whether files include reliable timestamps, original metadata, tamper detection, and a clear export process. | Low to Medium
Metadata can reveal location, identity, and routine even when video content is not shared. | Recording legality does not guarantee that a file will be admissible as evidence. Courts and investigators may assess authenticity, chain of custody, and lawful collection separately. | Preserve originals securely, avoid editing the source file, document how it was collected, and share only when legally appropriate. |
| Return, Repair, and Resale | Confirm how to factory-reset the glasses, remove paired accounts, delete local files, and erase cloud copies before transfer. | Medium
Residual recordings or account access can expose previous users and bystanders. | Deletion rights and account-removal procedures may apply to personal data, but a factory reset may not remove server-side backups or shared copies. | Export only necessary files, delete local and cloud data, revoke connected sessions, perform a factory reset, and verify account removal. |
