Smart Glasses Are Being Banned on Cruise Ships and It Sounds Reasonable Until You Think About It

So apparently you can no longer wear smart glasses like Xreal or Meta's Ray Bans in public on certain cruise ships, because of privacy concerns. And look, I get it. I really do. Nobody wants to feel like they're being secretly filmed while changing, bathing, or just existing in peace. Privacy matters. But as someone who was literally part of a hidden camera comedy show back in 2002, I need to say this out loud. This particular panic is wildly misplaced.

A quarter of a century ago, before smartphones were even a concept, we already had cameras hidden in hats, ties, necklaces, bags, and yes, camera glasses. First person perspective. Point of view filming. All of it. And here's the thing nobody seems to realize. If you want to secretly film someone, glasses are literally the worst possible tool for the job. You have to be looking directly at the person. Staring at them. With your face. It is the least subtle option available.

A phone? Way easier. A bag? Even easier. A hidden camera placed somewhere and left alone? Practically invisible. A camera mounted on your actual face is a blinking neon sign that says "I am looking directly at you right now." It's not sneaky. It's not discreet. It's obvious.

Fast forward to now and we live in a world where every phone has multiple cameras, laptops have cameras, tablets have cameras, cars have cameras, doorbells have cameras, elevators have cameras, and entire cities are basically one big CCTV experiment. Yes, even cruise ships are covered in cameras. But glasses are where we draw the line? That feels less like a privacy stance and more like a discomfort with where technology is heading.

Because here's the part people don't want to hear yet. In two or three years, probably less, most people will want smart glasses. The only reason you think you won't is because the tech is still in its awkward baby phase. The current Meta glasses are not the final form. Not even close. They're the prototype. What's coming is night vision, zoom, navigation overlays, instant information, memory aids, accessibility tools, and a level of augmentation that will feel normal shockingly fast. It's not sci fi. It's a roadmap.

This isn't about ignoring privacy. We absolutely need rules, consent norms, visual indicators, and social contracts around recording. But banning the tech outright because it makes us uneasy is not the solution. That's just fear wearing a policy badge.

We've been here before. With phones. With cameras. With the internet itself. The answer isn't pretending the future isn't coming. It's learning how to live in it responsibly.

And banning glasses on a cruise ship? That's not protecting privacy. That's just banning the worst tool for the job.