Retail workers are facing increasing risks from members of the public using smart glasses to secretly record them at work, according to shop workers’ union Usdaw.

The warning comes after a sales assistant discovered he had been filmed and featured in a video posted to TikTok and YouTube by former television presenter Michael Barrymore, without their knowledge or consent. Barrymore, who regularly records his daily activities using smart glasses equipped with a hidden camera, shares the footage with millions of followers online.

While the interaction in question was friendly, retail staff representatives say the wider trend raises serious concerns about privacy, safety and employee wellbeing.

Jayne Allport, national officer at Usdaw, described the covert filming of shop workers as an increasing problem, particularly when recordings are uploaded to social media platforms where they can be viewed by large audiences.

She warned that employees could be exposed to significant personal risks when their workplace, appearance and location are shared online without their permission.

Some workers, she noted, may have compelling reasons for wanting to keep their whereabouts private. “They could be filming someone who has escaped an abusive relationship or violent past, and they don’t want anybody to know where they are,” she told BBC Radio 4’s The Media Show.

Unlike public streets, shops are private premises, and retail staff generally have a reasonable expectation that images of them will not be recorded and published without their consent. However, many users of smart glasses may be unaware that sharing such footage can breach data protection laws, even if no criminal offence has been committed.

The employee who appeared in Barrymore’s video, who wishes to remain anonymous, only became aware of the recording days later when a customer recognised him from social media. He subsequently located the video online and realised he had been clearly identifiable throughout.

Although he said he was not personally distressed by the incident, he highlighted the potential consequences for more vulnerable workers.

“If I’ve just come out of a very abusive relationship and had to move area to get away from somebody, then a video showing exactly where I’m working could be extremely concerning,” he said.

The case has reignited concerns about the rapid growth of smart-glasses technology. Devices such as Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses have become increasingly popular, making it easier than ever for members of the public to record interactions discreetly and share them online.

For retail employees, the greatest concern is often not friendly encounters but confrontational situations. Allport said some customers deliberately filmed disputes with staff and posted the footage online in an attempt to embarrass workers or retailers.

“If you can imagine going to work and then being confronted by someone, having a discussion with them that may well get heated, that being filmed, and then it goes on to social media, you can just imagine how those shop workers are feeling about it,” she said. “It can be absolutely devastating.”

Usdaw argued that the practice can amount to a serious invasion of privacy and may have a significant impact on workers’ mental health. The union urged members of the public who create social-media content to seek permission before filming staff and to consider the potential consequences of publishing footage without consent.

Allport’s said content makers should take a few minutes to explain what they are doing and ask workers if they were happy to appear on camera. Many employees may agree, she said, but obtaining consent was both respectful and essential to protecting the privacy and safety of retail workers.

 

 

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