Lenskart pilots AI eye tests, faces privacy concerns over biometric data

Lenskart has begun piloting AI-enabled self-eye tests at select stores, founder and CEO Peyush Bansal said during the company's Q1 FY27 earnings call. The company is feeding user biometric data, including facial scans, into AI models to design lenses. Lenskart captured 1 lakh face scans daily in Q3 FY26 and now operates 786 remote testing stores and home tests across 1,200-plus pincodes.

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, data must be processed only for the purpose for which consent was taken. Medianama reports that it is unclear whether customers who take eye tests consent to their data being used for AI training or whether an opt-out exists. Lenskart's privacy policy retains facial data for five years after last use, but users have limited visibility into enforcement or deletion.

Lenskart's AI-powered smart glasses, B by Lenskart, have begun shipping a few hundred units daily. Medianama notes the same privacy risks as Meta AI glasses, including stealth recording and facial recognition misuse. India's data protection law does not require consent for recording in public or mandate an LED indicator to remain on.