New initiative aims to create spaces free from AI wearable recording as founder Dr. Joy Buolamwini warns of a growing privacy crisis in Nature; Equality Now, All Tech Is Human and National Association of Voice Actors join as inaugural partners
BOSTON, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Algorithmic Justice League (AJL) today announced the launch of the Off Record Zones Alliance, a new initiative to create spaces where consent is respected and AI-enabled wearable recording is turned off. The initiative invites businesses, organizations, event organizers and individuals to help protect privacy in everyday spaces as smart glasses and other AI wearables become increasingly widespread.
The launch follows a newWorld View article in Nature by AJL founder and AI researcher Dr. Joy Buolamwini published this week warning that increasingly discreet and affordable AI wearables threaten to normalize nonconsensual recording. Buolamwini describes the emerging threat as "secondhand surveillance," drawing a parallel to secondhand smoke: Just as individuals can be harmed by others' smoking, people who never choose to use AI wearables can nevertheless have their faces, voices and private conversations captured by someone else's device.
In the article, Buolamwini calls for the creation of "consent-conscious spaces" where covert recording is restricted, pointing to existing smart glasses restrictions in New York courtrooms and public facilities in parts of Australia. The Off Record Zones Alliance offers a way for businesses and communities to begin establishing such protections without waiting for broader government action.
"People should not have to surrender their privacy simply because someone nearby chooses to wear an AI recording device," said Buolamwini. "We created smoke-free spaces to protect people from secondhand smoke. Now we need spaces that protect us from secondhand surveillance. Off Record Zones give everyday people a way to act now and establish consent as the expectation, not the exception."
The alliance offers two ways to participate. Values partners are individuals and organizations that publicly support the creation of Off Record Zones and support stronger privacy protections. Venue partners commit to establishing at least one Off Record Zone in a space they control, using customizable signage and sample policies provided by AJL. Partners can designate physical spaces, such as restaurants, classrooms, changing rooms and meeting rooms, or establish virtual Off Record Zones by asking participants to turn off ambient recording devices at the beginning of meetings.
International women's rights organization Equality Now, technology ethics nonprofit All Tech Is Human and the National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) have joined the Algorithmic Justice League as the alliance's inaugural partners.
Equality Now highlights the disproportionate risks that covert recording and biometric surveillance pose to women and girls.
"Covert recording and biometric identification expose women and girls to harassment, stalking, image-based abuse and exploitation, and they deepen the discrimination that already limits how safely women and girls can move through public life," said Mona Sinha, CEO of Equality Now. "Women's rights to privacy, dignity and safety do not disappear the moment someone puts on a pair of smart glasses."
NAVA, a nonprofit organization advocating for voice actors, has been a leading voice in the fight against unauthorized AI voice cloning and the use of performers' recordings to train AI systems without consent. Through its #fAIrVoices campaign, NAVA advocates for consent, control and fair compensation in the use of AI-generated voices.
"Voice actors have spent years fighting for a simple principle: no one should be able to take your voice and use it without your consent. Everyone deserves that same protection," said Tim Friedlander, president and co-founder of NAVA. "As AI-powered devices make it easier than ever to capture people's voices and conversations without their knowledge or consent, we need to establish clear boundaries around where and when recording is appropriate. NAVA is proud to stand with the Algorithmic Justice League in supporting Off Record Zones and defending everyone's right to speak freely without fear of unwanted consumer surveillance."
AJL is also designating its upcoming Decade of Impact anniversary celebration on Nov. 14 as an Off Record Zone event. Individuals can request Off Record Zones at places they frequent, while businesses and organizations can join the alliance and access resources for establishing their own zones.
To learn more, become a partner or request an Off Record Zone, visitwww.offrecordzones.org.
About the Algorithmic Justice League:
AJL's mission is to raise public awareness about the impacts of AI, equip advocates with resources to bolster campaigns, build the voice and choice of the most impacted communities, and galvanize researchers, policymakers, and industry practitioners to prevent AI harms.
Media Contact
Rachel Baldauf, Algorithmic Justice League, 1 7148860147, [email protected]
SOURCE Algorithmic Justice League
Share this article