Lahore High Court seeks replies on petition to regulate camera-equipped smart glasses

The Lahore High Court has issued notices to the federal government, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and other authorities on a petition seeking rules for smart glasses fitted with cameras, which the petitioner says can be used to secretly record people.

Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued the notices on a public interest petition filed by a citizen, Husnainul Abideen, and asked the respondents to submit their replies by 8 October, Dawn reported.

What the petition says

The petition challenges what it describes as the unregulated import and sale of camera-equipped smart glasses in Pakistan, arguing that they threaten people’s privacy and dignity, as well as national security.

Arguing the case, advocate Shahram Saqi said devices such as the Ray-Ban Meta glasses “can secretly photograph, record and live-stream anyone within the wearer’s view”. He argued that this makes them fundamentally different from mobile phones.

The petition relies on Articles 9 and 14 of the Constitution. Article 9 protects the right to life and liberty, while Article 14 guarantees the dignity of every person and the privacy of the home.

Sold openly despite no official launch

According to the petition, the glasses are sold openly in shops across Pakistan, including at Lahore’s Hafeez Centre, one of the country’s best-known markets for computers and electronics. This is despite Meta not officially listing Pakistan as one of the markets where the glasses are sold.

What the petitioner wants

The petition asks the court for a series of measures:

• A declaration that unrestricted use of such glasses violates the Constitution
• A ban on their import
• A review of any approvals granted by the PTA
• A ban on their use in courts, airports and government offices
• Restrictions on their clearance through customs
• Disclosure by the cybercrime authorities of any complaints they have received about the devices

The respondents include the federal government, the PTA and the commerce ministry.

How smart glasses work

Camera glasses look much like ordinary sunglasses or spectacles, but have a small camera built into the frame, along with microphones and speakers. They can take photos, record video and, in some cases, stream live to social media, usually controlled by voice or a small button on the frame.

A wider concern about online harm

The petition comes as the authorities step up action against online crime. On Monday, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency arrested 61 people at a scam call centre in Rawalpindi, as part of what it calls a zero-tolerance policy on cybercrime.

What happens next

The federal government, the PTA and the other respondents must now file their replies by 8 October, when the court will take up the case again.

Why it matters

The case asks a question that technology has made urgent: can people be protected from being filmed without their knowledge when the camera is hidden in a pair of glasses? The court’s decision could shape whether such devices are banned, restricted to certain places or allowed to be sold freely in Pakistan.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn.