Activist Group Fakes Meta Glasses Ads at London Bus Stops to Protest Surveillance

Fake Ads Criticize Meta's Surveillance Ambitions

An activist group calling itself "Everyone Hates Elon" has taken over two bus stops in London with counterfeit advertisements for Meta's smart glasses. The ads are designed to resemble official Meta marketing but contain hidden messages that criticize the company's data collection practices.

One advertisement features an optical illusion similar to the movie They Live. From one angle, it shows Kylie Jenner wearing Meta glasses, but from another, the image turns black and white and her face becomes skeletal. The text shifts from "Meta AI glasses" to "Meta: We're always watching." The ad also includes a slogan that contrasts surveillance with fashion, calling out the constant recording.

Another fake ad is more blunt. It describes the glasses as "the biggest advance in pervert technology since the trenchcoat" and instructs users to say "Hey Meta, start filming." This ad appeared earlier this month at a different London location.

The group has a history of similar protests. In New York, they put up subway ads criticizing Jeff Bezos' involvement with the Met Gala. They argue that companies like Meta should not create devices that record people without consent, particularly to train AI robots.

The activists point to a Financial Times report claiming Meta is testing glasses that would continuously record audio and photos every few seconds, without any warning light. This has raised privacy concerns.

Meta has not responded to this specific campaign. However, the company recently announced it would disable cameras if it detects that recording LEDs have been tampered with, and it promised to continue improving safety and trustworthiness.

The bus stop ads have drawn attention to the growing backlash against wearable recording devices and the potential for misuse.