Meta's smart glasses are selling by the million, but the people being secretly filmed can't do a thing

"The woman was shopping in London when she noticed something odd about the man approaching her. He wore sunglasses indoors, asked her name, told her she was gorgeous. What she did not notice was the almost invisible camera embedded in the frames of his Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, quietly recording every second of the encounter. She only discovered the footage later, after it had been uploaded online and accumulated tens of thousands of views. When she asked him to take it down, he told her that removal was " a paid service. ""

"Across social media platforms, a pattern has emerged that is at once predictable and deeply unsettling: men wearing Meta's AI-enabled glasses approach women on beaches, in shops, and on public streets, filming their reactions to casual questions or pick-up lines without consent. The women only learn of the recordings after the clips have already gained traction, and frequently abuse, online. Photography in public remains broadly legal in most jurisdictions, leaving those filmed with vanishingly little recourse."

"Two US lawsuits allege Meta misled consumers about privacy. Apple, Google, and Snap are all preparing rival smart glasses for launch, each with cameras, ensuring the tension between wearable AI utility and bystander privacy will only intensify."

Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses have sold over seven million pairs and hold about 82% of the smart glasses market. Privacy concerns have escalated as women report being secretly filmed in public without meaningful legal options. Some footage captured by the glasses has been reviewed by Kenyan data workers, including graphic material. Social media shows repeated patterns of men using the glasses to record interactions in shops, streets, and beaches, with victims learning only after clips are uploaded and spread online. Two US lawsuits allege Meta misled consumers about privacy. Rival products from Apple, Google, and Snap are preparing to launch, increasing pressure between wearable AI features and bystander privacy.

Read at TNW | Meta