Overview
- Friend said it will delay sales in France and across the European Union to ensure the pendant complies with the GDPR privacy rules.
- CEO Avi Schiffmann said the company is working with a European legal team to reach full compliance before shipping any units to the EU.
- The pendant listens at all times and answers through a phone app using Google’s Gemini AI, raising consent concerns because it can capture nearby speech.
- French Green MP Jérémie Iordanoff asked the data regulator CNIL to open an inquiry over suspected breaches of privacy obligations.
- A Paris metro ad campaign for the device drew backlash with defaced posters, while about 3,000 units have sold in the U.S. and the EU price is listed at €113.