The decision follows significant pressure from the United States and industry stakeholders who argued that the original rules were overly restrictive and hindered the rollout of products where compact, built-in batteries are a technical necessity.
While the exemption is a significant victory for Meta and its Ray-Ban smart glasses, the Commission stated the change was made to address safety risks and technical limitations.
Officials noted that allowing consumers to open certain compact or water-resistant devices could compromise product integrity or pose hazards.
The amendment now faces a brief review period by the European Parliament and national governments; if no objections are raised, the new rules will officially enter into force.
Despite this regulatory relief regarding hardware, smart glasses continue to face intense scrutiny in the European Union regarding privacy and data protection.
Consumer advocacy groups and privacy watchdogs remain concerned about the potential for unauthorized surveillance and the handling of sensitive data captured by wearable cameras.
The European Data Protection Board is currently finalized a report on these issues, indicating that manufacturers still face significant hurdles regarding digital rights compliance.