Concern over covert filming devices in Senedd after Reform MS accused of using smart glasses

Emily Price 

Concerns have been raised by Senedd Members over the use of covert filming devices in Wales’ Parliament amid suspicions that a Reform MS used smart glasses to deliver a key speech during a debate this week.

Several MSs told Nation.Cymru they suspected that Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr MS Jason O’Connell had used a teleprompter function on a pair of smart glasses during his contributions in the Chamber on Wednesday (September 30).

One MS told us they caught glimpses of text moving down O’Connell’s lenses as he opened Reform’s debate on Wales’ 20mph default speed limit.

Other MSs noted that the Reform MS did not look down at his script during his contribution, unlike many of his other past speeches when he has relied heavily on notes.

Some Senedd sources also pointed out that O’Connell’s eyes appeared to move unusually, suggesting they may have been following something displayed on his glasses as he made his argument in the Chamber.

We contacted O’Connell and made him aware that some Members had raised concerns that he was using smart glasses to help him carry out his elected role. The Reform MS did not respond.

Teleprompter glasses project a digital script into the wearer’s field of vision, allowing them to read notes or receive prompts while maintaining the appearance that their speech has been memorised.

However, the wearer’s eyes can sometimes be seen making subtle left-to-right movements across the lens as they read, creating a tell-tale unnatural-looking tracking pattern.

Although using a hands-free autocue can make speech delivery easier, smart glasses are generally not popular with professional politicians.

Some MSs we spoke to were highly critical of the idea of using smart glasses to deliver contributions in the Chamber, arguing that doing so would appear inauthentic and suggest an inability to perform the taxpayer-funded role to which they were elected without technological assistance.

There are no current rules for Members that would prohibit them from using an aid to deliver a speech, as they may use a laptop or printed notes to help guide them during their contributions.

However, as smart glasses are an emerging technology, questions are now being raised about whether the Senedd should take a proactive approach and introduce rules governing their use in the Chamber.

Several female Members also deeper concerns that smart glasses could be used for purposes such as recording candid video without others’ knowledge or consent.

Despite smart glasses growing significantly in popularity in recent years – the devices are frequently criticised as “creepy” intrusive surveillance tools because their sleek design makes them almost indistinguishable from normal modern eyewear.

One of the MSs we spoke to told us that “formal concerns” had already been raised several weeks prior with the Senedd’s Chief Executive Manon Antoniazzi about the use of covert recording devices such as smart glasses on the Welsh Parliament’s estate.

The concerns stem from a surreptitious blurry image taken of Welsh journalist Will Hayward several weeks ago as he interviewed several Plaid Cymru MSs in the Senedd’s canteen.

It is unclear who snapped the secret photo, or what device was used.

Reform Wales posted the image to social media alongside the caption: “This is ‘award winning impartial journalist’, Will. He’s having lunch with his Plaid Cymru mates. Don’t be like Will.”

The image was reposted by the then-Reform leader in Wales, Dan Thomas, and Reform MSs Francesca O’Brien and Claire Archibald, but was later deleted following a backlash.

Some Senedd Members have since raised concerns about the possibility of being secretly filmed or photographed in private areas while they are at work, including the Senedd’s toilets.

Nation.Cymru contacted the Senedd asking if Members are able to use smart glasses as an aid to deliver a contribution in the Chamber.

A Senedd Commission spokesperson said: “The Llywydd would expect any Member intending to use this type of technology in the Chamber to discuss it with him first.”

We also raised the matter of the formal concerns that had been brought to the attention of the Senedd’s chief executive regarding potential covert filming on the Senedd’s estate.

A Senedd Commission spokesperson said: “There are strict rules in place around filming in non-public spaces on the estate, and permission to do so must be sought in advance from the Llywydd.

“We are always open to discussions with Members about any concerns they may have and on ways we can improve security.”

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