Travel is one of the most obvious use cases for AI glasses: foreign languages, unfamiliar surroundings, changing networks. It's also the use case with the most open legal questions — so here we cover the technology and the legal basics separately.
Translation on the road
The Even G2 overlays translation in real time in your field of view — see the glasses with translation article for details. On the road, the G2 relies on the internet connection of your paired smartphone for AI and translation features. How reliably that works abroad depends on your mobile plan.
Roaming and connectivity
Switzerland is not part of the EU's "roam like at home" rules; Swiss mobile plans can involve additional roaming charges in the EU, depending on your specific carrier and contract. Check your carrier's current roaming terms before you travel, or consider a local SIM or eSIM for the smartphone your glasses are paired with. This is general orientation, not a definitive statement about any specific carrier.
Recording abroad: what to know
Caution is warranted here. Whether recording people is permitted depends on the location, what exactly is captured, whether people are identifiable, whether audio is also recorded, how the material is processed afterwards, and whether affected people were informed. There is no single rule that applies everywhere.
Switzerland
Article 179quater of the Swiss Criminal Code protects the private and secret sphere against covert optical recording without the consent of the person concerned. What happens freely visible to anyone in public is generally not covered by this criminal provision. That doesn't mean public filming is automatically unproblematic: civil personality rights (Art. 28 of the Civil Code) and general data-protection principles can also apply depending on the situation. Switzerland's Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner also highlights the particular risk that barely-noticeable recording devices such as smart glasses pose to bystanders.
Important: Whether a specific recording is permitted depends on location, content, whether people are identifiable, audio recording, use of the material, and whether affected people were informed. This section is not legal advice.
Sources: Commentary on Art. 179quater StGB (University of Zürich); OnlineKommentar.ch, Art. 179quater StGB (German); FDPIC, Wearables (German).
EU and other countries
There is no single, EU-wide rule for when a person can simply be photographed or filmed. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires a lawful, fair and transparent basis for processing personal data — which includes identifiable people in images (Art. 5(1)(a) GDPR). How this is applied in practice differs by member state, supervisory authority, and individual case; national data-protection authorities publish their own guidance on it. For countries outside the EU, rules differ further and are not covered here in detail.
Sources: European Data Protection Board, Guidelines 3/2019 on video devices; Irish Data Protection Commission, FAQ on photos in public places (an example of one national authority's guidance, not applicable to Switzerland).
Where camera-free glasses make a difference — and where they don't
Camera-free display glasses like the Even G2 can reduce the risk tied to image and video recording, simply because they have no camera and don't film or photograph anyone. That doesn't resolve every concern, though: audio is still processed for translation and voice features, and questions around roaming, data processing and local rules remain regardless of camera type.
Recording Rules Quick-Check
Pick a travel region. The tool shows a general, deliberately cautious orientation — not a country database and not legal advice.
What broadly applies to recording at your destination?
General orientation. Also check the rules that apply locally yourself.
Method: general, text-based orientation by region, based on the sources cited above (Art. 179quater StGB, FDPIC, EDPB Guidelines 3/2019). Not a country-by-country rule set, and not an individual legal assessment.
To take with you
Wherever you're headed: actively inform the people you talk to if you're wearing a device with a microphone or translation feature, respect local rules and customs, and check your carrier's roaming terms before departure. See translation in action at the Zürich showroom, and purchase details on the purchase page.