Social media is full of videos of men trying to pick up women. Your secret tool? These smart glasses

So-called “manfluencers” are filming themselves trying to seduce women. Smart glasses seem to be your perfect tool

Toluwa was waiting for her flight in a VIP lounge at Washington, DC airport, in the United States, when she said she was approached by a stranger.

The two started talking and, after some time, she agreed to exchange phone numbers with him. It wasn’t until she got home and searched his social media that she discovered he had posted several videos of himself trying to pick up women in airports.

These videos were recorded with a camera built into their glasses – smart glasses, which look like regular glasses and, although still relatively niche, are gaining popularity.

“I looked around and found his TikTok account. I discovered that he makes these “rizz” videos,” says Toluwa, using a popular slang term derived from “charisma” for social media videos that show men approaching women in public and talking to them. For privacy reasons, Toluwa wished to be identified only by her first name.

While they were in contact via text, Toluwa said the man sent her the footage he had taken of her without her knowledge, saying he wanted to “show her” before sharing it online.

She says that he tried to persuade her to consent to him doing so; however, even though she did not explicitly agree, he posted it on social media. “It went viral to the point where people started sending me the video. Someone came up to me at Union Market, which is a big space in Washington, D.C., and put it in front of me and asked, “Is that you?””

Social media is full of videos of men filming themselves approaching women in public spaces and trying to flirt with them or ask for their phone numbers. In many cases, videos are filmed and posted on platforms like TikTok and Instagram without the permission or knowledge of the person being filmed.

These videos, often filmed from the point of view of the man approaching a potential target, rack up thousands and, in some cases, millions of views. Once published, they can attract misogynistic comments.

Although the concept of the “pick-up artist” is nothing new, experts warn of the rise of so-called “manfluencers”, who secretly film women to create misogynistic content online.

“Controlling images of women”

The term “manfluencer” describes a broad group of social media figures who create content aimed at men. While some post harmless content like gym routines and self-improvement advice, other accounts are more sinister.

In this online sphere, women are often positioned “as an achievement, prize or reward”, says Stephanie Wescott, feminist academic, writer and speaker, and professor of Education, Culture and Society at Monash University in Australia, to CNN.

Smart glasses, warns the academic, can benefit these content creators, as they offer a clear message about power. Namely, that men can “observe, record, and therefore control images of women in public spaces without their knowledge and, therefore, that public spaces belong to men.”

For Wescott, the phenomenon represents yet another example of the gendered abuse of technology – and a danger to women that is difficult to predict. “The danger is the loss of bodily autonomy without even realizing that this is happening”, he says.

Another woman — a DJ and producer who preferred to be identified by her social media username, “Manic Muse” — tells CNN that she believed she was having a genuine interaction with a stranger when she was approached by a bespectacled man in a grocery store in Texas, USA, who called her “beautiful.”

“He gave off good vibes, so I gave him my number and he immediately texted me after he got home, asking to see me the next day,” she says.

“At the end of our interaction in the store, he asked if he could massage my back, which is obviously a weird thing, but if you know me, you know I have back problems.”

However, after telling his sister about the interaction, she began to suspect that he might be wearing a pair of Meta AI smart glasses, which are becoming increasingly popular, with market research suggesting that they are by far the leading smart glasses brand. “And in that moment, my heart sank.”

According to what he says, when he sent a message to the man asking if he had recorded it, he stopped responding.

After locating his social media accounts, she discovered that he frequently uploaded videos of himself approaching women and posted them to his thousands of followers.

“So I sent him a message saying please don’t post me online. I got no response, total silence. Then the next morning I woke up and checked his account and saw it had been posted against my will, obviously secretly recorded.”

“This video has already reached almost 20 million views.” At the time of publication, that number had risen to more than 23 million views.

“It’s a violation. I did not consent to being secretly recorded and I definitely did not consent to becoming content for millions of strangers,” she declares.

“Consent required”

Although smart glasses have a flashing light on the side to indicate recording, this may be covered by an LED light-blocking sticker. And these can be easily purchased online.

In response to a request for comment from CNN, Meta said: “Our glasses have an LED light that activates whenever someone captures content, so it’s clear to others that the device is recording, and it has tamper detection technology to prevent people from covering that light.”

“As with any recording device, including phones, people should use smart glasses in a safe and respectful manner.”

The statement continues: “We are aware that there are a small number of users who choose to misuse our products despite the measures we have put in place.”

Meta says its terms of service clearly state that its smart glasses should not be used to engage in harmful activities, such as “harassment, violating privacy rights, or capturing confidential information.”

None of the women CNN spoke to said they saw a flashing light in their glasses during their interactions.

Anne-Marie, a UK events organizer who asked to be identified only by her first name, said she was filmed without her consent by a man wearing smart glasses while on holiday in Malta, and who posted the videos on social media. Speaking to CNN, she says that the police in Malta and the United Kingdom told her that there was nothing they could do about it, although, after reporting the video to Instagram and TikTok, both platforms ended up removing it. These platforms remove videos that allegedly violate privacy, for example, if they show someone who has not given their consent.

Anne-Marie spoke out against some male influencers who make money from their posts. “It’s a quick way to make money… If you get a certain amount of views, you can monetize, but you shouldn’t monetize by potentially exposing people. Consent is required,” he tells CNN.

“A new threat”

Wescott believes that, like most content creators, “manfluencers” are trying to profit from their work. “Typically, your content acts as a funnel to generate leads for various business ventures, including coaching, retreats, supplements or other products,” he says.

Laws in some countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, generally allow filming of people in public spaces without their consent, although there are exceptions, including harassment.

In the UK, if images filmed in a public space are published online, data protection law and privacy law may apply, especially if the video is used for commercial purposes.

Feminist activists say this new phenomenon represents a violation of privacy and is used to publicly shame women. The End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), a group of feminist experts and organizations from across the UK, is calling on the government to ensure legislation is adapted to respond to these emerging threats.

“The very act of being filmed without consent for nefarious purposes is a violation of women’s rights to privacy and the freedom to exist in public spaces,” Rebecca Hitchen, director of policy and campaigns at EVAW, told CNN.

“Smart glasses are therefore not an exciting innovation — for women, they represent a new threat to our everyday lives.”

Photo at top: a pair of second-generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images