{"id":351511,"date":"2026-01-04T10:49:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T10:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/351511\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T10:49:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T10:49:10","slug":"we-were-secretly-filmed-in-manchester-by-men-wearing-meta-glasses-we-felt-violated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/351511\/","title":{"rendered":"‘We were secretly filmed in Manchester by men wearing Meta glasses – we felt violated’"},"content":{"rendered":"

People in Manchester say they were secretly filmed by strangers wearing Meta glasses, eyewear that can capture video discreetly for TikTok and other platforms. The MEN investigates how the tech is being misused.\"TheThe @povcl1nt profile which posted videos filmed using Meta glasses(Image: TikTok)<\/p>\n

At first glance they could be any pair of spectacles. But people across Manchester<\/a> have been left feeling ‘violated’ after being recorded by strangers wearing Meta glasses.<\/p>\n

The new devices, made by Facebook<\/a> owner Meta and a designer brand, are created with AI technology which allow wearers to capture photos and videos discreetly. They look like regular eyewear, but they have a camera within the frame that is able to record footage up to three minutes long.<\/p>\n

Meta, which also owns Instagram<\/a> and WhatsApp, says the glasses allow ‘forward-thinking creators and everyday users to capture hands-free moments, share naturally created content and post seamlessly to their favourite platforms’. However, some content creators in Manchester are using the glasses to record people without their consent and share the interactions online.<\/p>\n

Josh Fairhurst was at work in a Manchester city centre<\/a> store when he was approached by a man wearing Meta glasses on December 12. At first the interaction in the shop was normal, and the 22-year-old recalls serving the man like any other customer.<\/p>\n

But the man returned more than an hour later with a \u2018little flashing light\u2019 on the side of his glasses and asked Josh for his number. Josh says he noticed he was being recorded after seeing a \u2018continuous dull flash\u2019 on the frame of the glasses.<\/p>\n

\"JoshJosh Fairhurst found himself in a TikTok video filmed using Meta glasses(Image: Josh Fairhurst)<\/p>\n

He says the man mentioned \u2018nothing at all\u2019 about recording him, before attempting to provoke a reaction whilst filming. Josh realised that he had become the subject of a TikTok video after it was sent to him by a friend the next day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was angry watching it,\u201d he told the Manchester Evening News. \u201cI think going into somewhere and actively recording people in their job is weird.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘People are just trying to do their job’<\/p>\n

The video included a caption saying ‘zesty pick up lines on workers’. Josh was one of three men working at the store who were approached by a TikTok content creator, who goes by the user name @povcl1nt, for the video.<\/p>\n

Since the incident, Josh says a conversation has grown among his co-workers, as many were unaware of how Meta glasses can be used inappropriately. “There are so many people that don\u2019t know that people do this, and people are just trying to do their job,” said Josh.<\/p>\n

He added: “Other people in that situation might not have known he was filming, and it could have been a lot worse.” Josh went on to post his own video on TikTok, in which he told followers that @povcl1nt’s actions were ‘such a violation’.<\/p>\n

Responding to Josh’s video, one viewer commented: \u201cThere needs to be a law about filming people without their consent and then putting it on socials it\u2019s a complete violation.\u201d The comment received 3,335 likes.<\/p>\n

\"HowHow the Meta glasses look when worn(Image: Paul Morigi\/Getty Images for Washington AI Network)<\/p>\n

@povcl1nt has posted other similar ‘pov’ videos – meaning ‘point of view’ – involving retail workers. Usdaw, the union which represents shop workers, says the issue of Meta glasses being used in this way has been reported to them by multiple members.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson added: \u201cWe\u2019d expect it to be treated in the same way as any other inappropriate customer behaviour. It should be reported and we\u2019d expect the store to take action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Josh feels the video carried homophobic undertones and was intended to \u2018take the mick\u2019 out of gay men, as he said the creator appeared to ‘only go up to gay people’, while the TikTok post also included the hashtag \u2018#zesty\u2019. But when approached by the M.E.N., the man behind the @povcl1nt account denied the allegation and insisted he did not want to ’embarrass anyone’.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is definitely not my intention,” he said. “I was going to go up to every guy regardless of their sexual orientation. I don\u2019t try to embarrass anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

While speaking to the M.E.N., the person behind @povcl1nt did not wish to be named, while his profile picture shows his head turned to the side and covered with a hood. He believes his content is \u2018harmless\u2019 and \u2018just for laughs\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe TikTok profile picture used by @povcl1nt (Image: TikTok: @povcl1nt )<\/p>\n

The man behind the account admits he uses Meta glasses because of their discreet nature. While suggesting he ‘probably should’ ask for consent, he added: “I obviously can\u2019t ask them [for consent] because it will ruin the element of surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked why he produces the videos, he added: “I’m just trying to get 10,000 followers.” Under TikTok’s ‘Creator Rewards’ programme, users with more than that number of followers who meet certain criteria can earn money for producing original content.<\/p>\n

Josh said the video had been reported to TikTok, but it remained accessible until the M.E.N. approached the platform. TikTok has since banned the @povcl1nt account for violating the platform’s community guidelines on bullying and harassment. The platform says specific privacy concerns can be reported on its website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

‘I was uncomfortable from the get-go’<\/p>\n

Other people in Manchester have reported being made to feel uncomfortable by men wearing Meta glasses to film content. A 23-year-old woman, who asked to remain anonymous, says she was approached at Manchester Piccadilly station earlier this year.<\/p>\n

She recalls being stood alone waiting for her friend to arrive when she was approached by an unknown man wearing the device. “He tried to flirt with me, but his energy was off,” she said. “I was uncomfortable from the get-go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman says the man persisted on pursuing her even after she told him that she had a boyfriend. When he eventually left her alone, he later returned to tell her that he was a \u2018chat-up artist\u2019 and he had recorded the entire interaction.<\/p>\n

Like many people, the woman had no idea what Meta glasses were, and she felt \u2018violated and uncomfortable\u2019 once she found out that he had used them to film her. She said: \u201cWhen he asked if he could post it, I said definitely not.<\/p>\n

“But it comes down to that I don\u2019t know that man or his account so I don\u2019t know if he will still post it. You can\u2019t trust people that do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe encounter took place at Manchester Piccadilly(Image: MEN MEDIA)<\/p>\n

The self-proclaimed \u2018chat-up artist\u2019 told her he was creating content to \u2018show other men not to be afraid to approach women\u2019. However, the woman believes his real intention was to create content that will get him \u2018monetisation and views\u2019.<\/p>\n

Since the encounter, the woman says she now struggles to trust others in public. She added: “You wouldn\u2019t think it affects you that much, but now when someone comes up to me, I think \u2018what is your motive?\u2019.”<\/p>\n

The woman never discovered the identity of the man or whether the footage was published online. But the encounter has left her wary on her visits to Manchester Piccadilly station in case she sees the same man again.<\/p>\n

Filming in public spaces is legal in the UK, but shops and most railway stations – including Piccadilly – are classed as private property. GDPR guidelines also suggest that consent should be given before filming someone for content purposes.<\/p>\n

Meta insists its glasses are designed to let other people know when they are being used to film content and that users should comply with the law. A Meta spokesperson said: \u201cOur glasses have an LED light that activates whenever someone captures content, so it\u2019s clear to others that the device is recording and features tamper detection technology to prevent people from covering that light.<\/p>\n

“Our terms of service clearly state that users are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and should not tamper with the product. As with any recording device, including phones, people should use smart glasses in a safe, respectful manner, which includes not engaging in harmful activities like harassment, infringing privacy rights, or capturing sensitive information.\u201d<\/p>\n