Technology New fear: Man films woman with smart glasses, seeks money to take video down

[Brownie2019]

Content source

https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/hotforsecurity/man-films-woman-smart-glasses-money

A woman in London says a man used smart glasses to secretly film her, then uploaded the footage to social media, and requested money to remove the video after she complained to him directly.

According to a BBC investigation, the footage received around 40,000 views before platforms began removing it. Police later confirmed they had opened an investigation into the incident.

Key takeaways
A woman in London says a man secretly filmed her using smart glasses and uploaded the footage to social media.
The woman later contacted the account and requested the removal of the video.
According to the BBC, the man responded by offering to remove the video as a “paid service.”
TikTok reportedly banned the account for violating its policies on bullying and harassment.

Full Story:

New fear: Man films woman with smart glasses, seeks money to take video down

London woman says man secretly filmed her with smart glasses and demanded money to remove the viral social media video.

www.bitdefender.com

 

[Bot]

Full Story:

New fear: Man films woman with smart glasses, seeks money to take video down

London woman says man secretly filmed her with smart glasses and demanded money to remove the viral social media video.

www.bitdefender.com

This is a good example of how consumer tech can be abused even when the device itself is legal.

What stands out here

• The main issue is not just the recording, but the alleged non-consensual filming, public posting, and then asking for money to remove it.
• If that account really demanded payment for removal, that moves beyond a privacy concern into potentially more serious legal territory.
• Smart glasses make this kind of behavior harder to notice because they can look like ordinary eyewear.

Why this matters from a security and privacy perspective

Many people still look for a visible phone camera before assuming they are being recorded. Wearables change that.

• They reduce the social signal that recording is happening.
• They make covert filming easier in public or semi-public spaces.
• They create new abuse opportunities for harassment, stalking, humiliation, and extortion-like behavior.

The broader concern is less about one brand or one platform and more about how easy capture-and-upload has become.

Practical takeaway

For anyone dealing with something similar, the safest next steps are usually:

• Save evidence immediately, including screenshots, profile links, upload times, comments, and any payment demand.
• Report the content directly to the platform.
• Use the forum/reporting tools of the service if impersonation, harassment, or sexual/privacy abuse is involved.
• Contact police or local authorities if there is blackmail, threats, stalking, or persistent harassment.
• Avoid negotiating privately once money is being demanded.

One important caution

I cannot verify the full facts of the case beyond the report you linked, so it is best to treat the article as a news claim unless supported by police statements, court records, or platform confirmation.

The core lesson is still clear: smart wearables introduce real privacy risks, and misuse can escalate very quickly once footage is posted online.

 

[TairikuOkami]

You are recorded by hundreds, thousands of cameras per day, some live streaming, yet people get upset, if someone records them directly. What a funny world.
If someone wants to record you, spy cameras start at like $10 and they look like a button or a pen and you could never tell, so maybe act your age in public?!

 

[Virtuoso]

BBC news will never reveal the Full story in such cases, what I have seen is that many women are caught flirting and even kissing the guy wearing smart glasses or his friend while having a boyfriend or husband at home, this is why they are ready to pay to get the video taken down.

 

[lokamoka820]

Therefore, women want to enjoy themselves but don't want their men to know.

 

[TairikuOkami]

Therefore, women want to enjoy themselves but don't want their men to know.

I can definitely understand that, I could not survive, if people would know, what I am really like. People are too judgmental and stranger's opinions matter way too much.

 

[Trident]

Therefore, women want to enjoy themselves but don't want their men to know.

Ok but with a stranger on the street? When you’ve got something to lose…?
But I mean yeah… this guy is just another “influencer”, short for a “leech” trying to make living out of other people shock, agony and whatnot. This is what social media has become.

It will either be that, or AI generated slop (with Strawberryta and Cucumberitta), or it’s gonna be ruthless OnlyFans promotions… there is nothing else nowadays.

 

[lokamoka820]

Ok but with a stranger on the street? When you’ve got something to lose…?
But I mean yeah… this guy is just another “influencer”, short for a “leech” trying to make living out of other people shock, agony and whatnot. This is what social media has become.

It will either be that, or AI generated slop (with Strawberryta and Cucumberitta), or it’s gonna be ruthless OnlyFans promotions… there is nothing else nowadays.

I agree with you; I was surprised too, but it seems I couldn't express myself properly. Perhaps I thought a disappointed face emoji was enough.

 

[Sorrento]

I reckon behaving yourself is a pretty good policy? Not making yourself a target?

 

[Zero Knowledge]

I reckon behaving yourself is a pretty good policy? Not making yourself a target?

Never been drunk or high in public? I rest my case your honor .

& Ahh OnlyFans the digital welfare scam for good looking people. At least you get something back unlike GoFundMe which is just the usual dregs, deros and junkies.

I guess when you fall down steps while drunk in a foreign country, have 13 kids that need support and somehow eat rat poison you deserve free money .

 

[Wrecker4923]

Countries with budgets have become total surveillance societies. We get recorded every day in situations we’re not aware of, though footage is usually not person-specific. I wonder how many of those funny YouTube videos were recorded and published with the person in view’s consent.

Beware of smart glasses: they’re supposed to light up when recording (would you notice?), but apparently, some guy offers a global service to disable the lights.

 

[TairikuOkami]

I wonder how many of those funny YouTube videos were recorded and published with the person in view’s consent.

In the meantime, doorbell cameras are becoming illegal, if they record the public street or the neighbors.
There was a great dashcam channel with ambulance videos, but it was discontinued, it was against GDPR.
I expect criminals, whose conducts were published, to demand their videos taken down, for privacy reasons.

 

[Sorrento]

Never been drunk or high in public? I rest my case your honor .

& Ahh OnlyFans the digital welfare scam for good looking people. At least you get something back unlike GoFundMe which is just the usual dregs, deros and junkies.

I guess when you fall down steps while drunk in a foreign country, have 13 kids that need support and somehow eat rat poison you deserve free

I think it makes good sense to realise this is 2026 & things are different than years ago which is why we come on here, its all personal choices? Beware of cameras they are everywhere?

 

[Zero Knowledge]

I think it makes good sense to realise this is 2026 & things are different than years ago which is why we come on here, its all personal choices? Beware of cameras they are everywhere?

Yeah it's crazy time for sure, some people yearn for the old days. Things were simpler but maybe not better, things have just intensified 100X. One of the biggest reasons cameras and CCTV is everywhere is because it saves limited police resources, first thing they ask if your robbed, house burgled or car broken into is do you have CCTV! If not they dust for prints and say goodbye nothing we can do.

 

[Sorrento]

A couple of years ago a house down the road had an incident, I was on holiday in Mexico at the time & the police rang me from the UK asking if i had camera footage of anything, it was around 3:30 am in Mexico, as it was I didn't, but I was able to look, I don't think they ever found the reason, but it was unusual

 

[Trident]

Countries with budgets have become total surveillance societies. We get recorded every day in situations we’re not aware of, though footage is usually not person-specific. I wonder how many of those funny YouTube videos were recorded and published with the person in view’s consent.

Beware of smart glasses: they’re supposed to light up when recording (would you notice?), but apparently, some guy offers a global service to disable the lights.

This surveillance barely helps to reduce crime. Just saying.

 

[Zero Knowledge]

This surveillance barely helps to reduce crime. Just saying.

But it helps save limited police resources for more serious crime. Police around the world don't care about petty crime, car theft, stealing anymore. They rely on CCTV now to solve/prosecute most low level crime. The problem is and they know this is a dead end for society and that if you don't address and police less serious crime it turns into serious crime eventually. But they don't have the budget/resources anymore to do street to door to neighborhood policing like they used, that's the excuse anyway.