Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis has clashed with opposition lawmakers in parliament over his use of Meta smart glasses, after his social-media-viral eyewear became the subject of mockery during debate on a health screening program amendment.
Following his remarks on the "Doxiadis" preventive health program amendment, Mr. Georgiadis faced sarcastic comments from Pasok and Plefsi Eleftherias lawmakers over the glasses, which can record video and audio.
"A year from now, those of you insulting me will be wearing glasses like these," he told critics, predicting the technology would soon become mainstream and calling Pasok "technologically and culturally primitive" for its reaction.
Pasok parliamentary spokesman Dimitris Mantzos had joked he wasn't sure "which glasses" the minister used to study the amendment, and raised concerns about consent and privacy rather than technophobia, according to his remarks.
Mr. Georgiadis said he began wearing the glasses after being physically attacked in Nikaia, when people repeatedly asked him for video of the incident.
"Whoever wants to insult me or spit on me — go ahead. It'll be recorded," he said, adding that during recent visits to Lemnos and Leros, 25 other cameras were present alongside his own, dismissing privacy concerns as unfounded.
The minister also sparred with Pasok's Panagiotis Doudonis, who had called him a "spy minister" , calling the remark "nonsense" from a "self-styled law professor."
He further criticized Plefsi Eleftherias leader Zoe Konstantopoulou over data privacy concerns, referencing her past conduct during Greece's parliamentary vote on the 2015 bailout referendum.