Key facts
- Meta's AI-powered smart glasses are facing criticism and are being referred to as "pervert glasses" due to privacy concerns.
- Investigations revealed instances of individuals being secretly filmed and their data collected without consent.
- Human contractors have reviewed sensitive footage captured by the glasses, raising data handling concerns.
- Lawsuits and government investigations have been initiated against Meta regarding its AI glasses.
- Plans to add facial recognition technology to the glasses have drawn strong opposition from privacy advocates.
- Meta has updated the glasses to prevent hidden recording, but backlash continues.
Meta's AI-powered smart glasses, designed to replace smartphones, are facing intense scrutiny and public criticism, leading to them being dubbed "pervert glasses." Concerns center on the potential for misuse, including secret filming and data collection without consent. A BBC investigation revealed instances of women being filmed with the Ray-Ban smart glasses and their videos posted online without permission. Further reports indicated that human contractors reviewed sensitive footage captured by the devices, including private moments. This has led to a class-action lawsuit against Meta for allegedly failing to disclose this data handling practice. Additionally, Democratic senators have raised alarms about potential facial recognition features enabling stalking and harassment. Privacy advocates, including the ACLU and 75 other organizations, have urged Meta to abandon plans for facial recognition. The Texas Attorney General has launched an investigation into the devices over concerns about secret recording and misleading consumers about data usage. While Meta has implemented updates, such as disabling the camera if the recording light is tampered with, these measures have not quelled the backlash. Campaigns highlighting privacy implications have been launched, and law enforcement is investigating individuals accused of misuse. Major events like Comic Con have banned the glasses due to privacy concerns.