Pop CultureTECH WATCH

Blind users fear backlash over smart glasses and privacy

Visually impaired people who use camera-equipped smart glasses to get around say public suspicion is growing over privacy; the lens points both ways.

On air: Chip Darnell and Gloria Vance on Wake Up, America
Published 5:18 AM ET, Friday, October 16, 2026

Photo: Loïc Le Meur · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

▶ As it aired · Pop Culture

Watch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Gloria Vance on this story, from Wake Up, America at 5:18 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are BBC's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Loïc Le Meur · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

Photo: Smartglasses — Photo: Loïc Le Meur · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

First reported by BBC: “'People call them pervert glasses': Blind users fear backlash over smart tech”.
Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 5:18 AM ET on Wake Up, America, by Chip Darnell and Gloria Vance.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

BBC'People call them pervert glasses': Blind users fear backlash over smart tech

What BBN said about it

Gloria Vance · World News AnchorBlind and visually impaired users of smart glasses say they are bracing for a backlash, because some people now call the devices pervert glasses.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorBut they use them to hear what's in front of them! That's a pair of eyes that actually does its job!
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThe worry is privacy. A camera on a face makes strangers nervous, and the people who rely on it get treated as suspects.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorSo the one guy who needs the camera gets the dirty looks, and the guy filming his lunch gets a pass.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorPrecisely.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorI'd wear a pair to find my coffee at this hour!

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