About Tech Gets Real: Protect Yourself in the AI Era
Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control in a time of rapid technological change. I'm veteran tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering topics like online privacy and freedom for two decades. In TGR, I provide short, jargon-free guides to help you navigate the new AI era.
Norway is about to ban camera-equipped smart glasses such as Meta AI Glasses from many public spaces, and a Dutch eyewear retailer is dropping the category from its lineup, because of social and legal pushback. Can a company like Meta, which has many privacy scandals under its belt and which is close to the Trump administration, get around this kind of resistance?
To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com (mailto:david@techgetsreal.com) or connect on:
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REFERENCES:
Norway announces smart glasses ban proposal https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/vil-innfore-midlertidig-forbud-mot-ki-briller/id3175516/ (https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/vil-innfore-midlertidig-forbud-mot-ki-briller/id3175516/)
Hans Anders drops Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/dutch-eyewear-chain-hans-anders-halts-sale-meta-glasses-citing-privacy-concerns-2026-10-02/ (https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/dutch-eyewear-chain-hans-anders-halts-sale-meta-glasses-citing-privacy-concerns-2026-10-02/)
Dutch privacy regulator AP on camera glasses https://www.autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/actueel/ap-waarschuwt-gebruikers-camerabrillen-dat-filmen-van-anderen-vrijwel-altijd-verboden-is (https://www.autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/actueel/ap-waarschuwt-gebruikers-camerabrillen-dat-filmen-van-anderen-vrijwel-altijd-verboden-is)
Hamburg bans smart glasses in many places https://www.rapporteur.com/news/hamburg-moves-to-ban-smart-glasses-on-public-transport/ (https://www.rapporteur.com/news/hamburg-moves-to-ban-smart-glasses-on-public-transport/)
German Federal Network Agency resists smart glasses ban https://www.heise.de/en/news/Federal-Network-Agency-not-banning-Meta-Smart-Glasses-11415182.html (https://www.heise.de/en/news/Federal-Network-Agency-not-banning-Meta-Smart-Glasses-11415182.html)
Svenska Dagbladet on Meta smart glasses imagery being annotated https://www.svd.se/a/K8nrV4/metas-ai-smart-glasses-and-data-privacy-concerns-workers-say-we-see-everything (https://www.svd.se/a/K8nrV4/metas-ai-smart-glasses-and-data-privacy-concerns-workers-say-we-see-everything)
Meta’s smart glasses facial recognition patent application https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/28556604/meta-fac-rec-party-patent.pdf (https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/28556604/meta-fac-rec-party-patent.pdf)
Wired on Muse AI agent profiling contacts https://www.wired.com/story/muse-creates-detailed-profiles-of-all-your-friends-and-family/ (https://www.wired.com/story/muse-creates-detailed-profiles-of-all-your-friends-and-family/)
24 Sept 2026
The UK tackles Russian disinformation - and the far right
New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham used a major UN speech to announce a pushback against Russian online disinformation campaigns that fuel far-right unrest in the UK. We need to see the details, because there’s a risk of fueling far-right persecution claims if this is not handled with care.
Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control at a time of rapid technological change. I'm Berlin-based tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering tech policy for two decades. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful.
To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com (mailto:david@techgetsreal.com) or connect on:
Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.eurosky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.eurosky.social)
Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze (https://mastodon.social/@superglaze)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites (https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeyer2/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeyer2/)
REFERENCES:
Video of Andy Burnham’s UN speech https://media.un.org/avlibrary/en/asset/d363/d3630670 (https://media.un.org/avlibrary/en/asset/d363/d3630670)
Text of the speech https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-at-unga-22-september-2026 (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-at-unga-22-september-2026)
Byline Times on Russian disinformation https://bylinetimes.com/2022/03/17/putins-willing-disinformation-agents/ (https://bylinetimes.com/2022/03/17/putins-willing-disinformation-agents/)
2025 study on far right sharing disinformation https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19401612241311886 (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19401612241311886)
Guardian on far-right violence in Portsmouth https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2026/sep/08/how-a-black-clad-christian-vigilante-group-swarmed-portsmouth (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2026/sep/08/how-a-black-clad-christian-vigilante-group-swarmed-portsmouth)
Guardian on far-right activist Daniel Thomas attacking dinghy https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/24/police-arrest-far-right-activist-daniel-thomas-after-dinghy-slashed-channel (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/24/police-arrest-far-right-activist-daniel-thomas-after-dinghy-slashed-channel)
18 Sept 2026
Canada’s Carney pitches win-win tech pact to Europe
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday proposed a wide-ranging “alliance for the future” between his country and the European Union. It was all about self-preservation in the face of Trump’s America – and a lot of it was about tech sovereignty, particularly regarding AI and its infrastructure.
(Sorry for mangling “Bruegel”…)
Tech Gets Real is a show about staying in control at a time of rapid technological change. I'm Berlin-based tech journalist David Meyer, and I've been covering tech policy for two decades. If you like this, please hit like and subscribe, and share it with others who might find it useful.
To contact me, please email david@techgetsreal.com (mailto:david@techgetsreal.com) or connect on:
Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.eurosky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/superglaze.eurosky.social)
Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@superglaze (https://mastodon.social/@superglaze)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites (https://www.facebook.com/davidmeyerwrites)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeyer2/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeyer2/)
REFERENCES:
Full video of Carney’s speech https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/video/formal-sitting-with-mark-carney-canadian-prime-minister-address-by-mark-carney-canadian-prime-minister_I294232 (https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/video/formal-sitting-with-mark-carney-canadian-prime-minister-address-by-mark-carney-canadian-prime-minister_I294232)
Official transcript (slightly different) of the speech https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/speeches/2026/09/17/prime-minister-carney-delivers-address-european-parliament (https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/speeches/2026/09/17/prime-minister-carney-delivers-address-european-parliament)
My ISMG article on Carney’s address https://www.govinfosecurity.com/canadian-pm-floats-tech-sovereignty-alliance-europe-a-32856 (https://www.govinfosecurity.com/canadian-pm-floats-tech-sovereignty-alliance-europe-a-32856)
Europe 2031 estimates of EU compute capacity https://europe2031.ai/compute-forecast/ (https://europe2031.ai/compute-forecast/)
Bruegel analysis of Europe’s comparative disadvantage in compute capacity https://www.bruegel.org/policy-brief/how-can-europe-address-its-pressing-ai-compute-infrastructure-shortfall (https://www.bruegel.org/policy-brief/how-can-europe-address-its-pressing-ai-compute-infrastructure-shortfall)
Report on Canadian data center capacity https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/politics/2026/07/08/canada-data-centre-capacity-could-soar-to-20-gw-in-planned-projects-government-document/ (https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/politics/2026/07/08/canada-data-centre-capacity-could-soar-to-20-gw-in-planned-projects-government-document/)
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