A woman in London says a man used smart glasses to secretly film her, then uploaded the footage to social media, and requested money to remove the video after she complained to him directly.

According to a BBC investigation, the footage received around 40,000 views before platforms began removing it. Police later confirmed they had opened an investigation into the incident.

Key takeaways

• A woman in London says a man secretly filmed her using smart glasses and uploaded the footage to social media.
• The woman later contacted the account and requested the removal of the video.
• According to the BBC, the man responded by offering to remove the video as a “paid service.”
• TikTok reportedly banned the account for violating its policies on bullying and harassment.

Woman says she was secretly filmed in London

A woman in London says a man wearing smart glasses secretly filmed her during an interaction at a shopping center before uploading the footage to social media.

According to a BBC investigation, the woman, identified only as Alice (and not her real name), didn’t realize she was being recorded.

Alice told the BBC she initially believed the man was simply attempting to speak with her. “In the moment I just thought ‘OK this guy is just trying to talk to me, to chat me up,’” she said.

She added that the man followed her while wearing the smart glasses and that she never saw a phone or a visible camera.

The BBC reported that the footage later appeared online and received around 40,000 views before Alice discovered it through a friend.

Video reportedly viewed thousands of times

According to the report, such videos often appear on social media accounts presenting themselves as dating advice or social content aimed at male audiences.

“My initial reaction was complete shock,” she said. “He had no phone, he didn’t have a camera directly in my face.”

The BBC stated that multiple women have contacted the broadcaster about similar experiences involving covert filming and online posting without consent.

Request to remove footage led to payment demand

Alice contacted the social media account responsible for posting the video and requested its removal. She told the BBC that the footage made her feel “humiliated.”

She received a response stating that the video could be removed as a “paid service.”

The man, later contacted by the BBC, said he didn’t intend to cause harm and described his content as “light-hearted” and “respectful.”

When questioned about the payment request, he reportedly said the wording referred to “content-related requests” rather than a condition for removing content entirely.

Police opened an investigation

The Metropolitan Police told the BBC an investigation was opened after the incident was reported. However, authorities said officers couldn’t advance the case due to limited information.

Legal experts interviewed by the BBC expressed concern about the situation and the request for payment to remove online content.

The UK government also commented on the issue, stating that “women and girls deserve to feel safe” and that filming and sharing content online without consent “won’t be tolerated.”

TikTok banned the account involved in the case for violating its rules on bullying and harassment. Meta also removed reposted versions of the video from its platforms.

The BBC additionally stated that it identified multiple accounts allegedly operated by the same individual across YouTube, Instagram, and Threads.