1990s Smart Glasses

These 1990s smart glasses mark the early stages of wearable surveillance technology. Today, Warwick philosopher Henrik Kugelberg explores their evolution and the social consequences of digital peer-to-peer surveillance. Once the stuff of dystopian fiction, surveillance is now embedded in everyday life—not just by states, but by each other. With modern smart glasses capable of livestreaming and even facial recognition, Kugelberg asks: how will this reshape our norms? Will we feel constantly watched, like actors on a stage?