British Woman Secretly Filmed by Man Using Smart Glasses Demands Payment to Remove Video

A British woman was secretly filmed by a man wearing smart glasses as she entered a London shopping center. The man approached her, asked for her Instagram information and continued to follow her. She said she had no idea she was being recorded and did not consent to it.

Later a friend sent her the video that the man had posted on social media. The woman, using the alias Alice, said her initial reaction was complete shock. The video has been viewed roughly 40,000 times. Alice contacted the account and asked for the post to be removed.

The man responded by email that he was not required to take it down. He wrote that he understood some people might prefer content to be removed. Alice said the response made her feel completely exploited and powerless. She added that she did not know who to turn to.

She continues to feel uneasy knowing the man still has the file and checks social media regularly to see if the video has been uploaded again. The man later stated that his intention has always been to create light-hearted, respectful interactions. After one platform removed the video and banned his account for violating its harassment policy, he reposted the video on another social media platform.

When asked about the payment request, the man said his offer of removal as a paid service applies to requests for editing and other usage and not as a condition for removing content in response to personal concerns. He added that he understood how the wording may have been interpreted differently and regretted that it was not clearer.

The BBC reported that Alice’s request for removal was unrelated to the paid services he described.

The BBC reported that the man runs multiple accounts on YouTube, Instagram and Threads, all featuring similar content. Alice said she is sharing her story to warn others. She stated that if people do not consent to content of themselves being shared, it can actually be very dangerous.

An investigation by two Swedish newspapers found that footage captured via smart glasses can include people using the bathroom, undressing or having sex, often without realizing they were being recorded. The man is among a growing number of people using smart glasses to film unsolicited approaches to women in public places such as nightlife areas, shopping centers and city streets.

The videos typically follow a script of compliments, pickup lines and requests for contact information before being posted online.