Meta's AI Smart Glasses Face Privacy Backlash

Meta is developing AI-powered smart glasses intended to replace smartphones, but they are increasingly labeled as "pervert glasses" due to privacy concerns. A January investigation revealed that women were secretly filmed with Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses and the videos were posted on TikTok without consent. In February, a joint investigation found that contractors reviewing footage captured by the glasses included sensitive content such as bathroom use and sexual activity, raising alarms about data handling. In March, Meta faced a class-action lawsuit for not disclosing that human contractors could review shared content. Democratic senators later questioned the company about facial recognition plans, warning of potential stalking and harassment. In April, the ACLU and 75 organizations urged Meta to abandon facial recognition plans, citing risks of identifying strangers in public. In May, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the glasses over concerns of secret recording and misleading consumers. In July, Meta updated the glasses to prevent bypassing the recording light, but backlash continued as advocacy groups campaigned against privacy implications. By the end of July, Police Scotland investigated a TikToker accused of secretly filming with the glasses, leading to bans at events like Comic Con and DEF CON.

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