Meta drops camera from smart glasses after backlash over covert filming

Since Meta and Ray-Ban launched AI-powered smart glasses in 2023, the devices have triggered serious privacy concerns. There have been repeated reports of the glasses being used to film women and girls without their consent, with footage later spreading online. The issue escalated to the point that a criminal investigation was opened in France in September over covert filming of women using such glasses, Reuters reported. The device has earned the nickname "pervert glasses" among the public.

Bans and technical flaws

Privacy concerns have grown so large in the UK that the glasses have been banned in some pubs, theaters, schools and other venues, according to BBC. The problem is compounded by the fact that the glasses look like ordinary eyewear from the outside, making it hard for bystanders to tell when recording is happening. Although the device has a white indicator light meant to turn on during recording, methods for disabling this signal have spread online, further undermining people's ability to notice covert filming.

A camera-free model

In response to the criticism, Meta has released a new version called "Ray-Ban Meta Audio," which has no camera at all. The glasses retain other features — phone calls, music playback and navigation directions — and are cheaper, lighter and offer longer battery life than the camera-equipped model. Meta denies that the new product was rushed out due to public criticism, saying it had been in development for roughly two years.

Industry experts, however, believe cameras are not going away from smart glasses altogether, since the camera is what allows the device to perceive its surroundings and feed information to the AI system. Experts note that society still needs to establish new rules and norms of behavior around this technology, and the new camera-free model may help people grow accustomed to smart glasses, though it does not mean cameras will disappear from the category.