Privacy Backlash Explodes Against Meta's Smart Glasses
With nearly 70% of the market, "Meta wants its smart glasses to be a big hit," writes the Los Angeles Times. But after some users found ways to disable the light that warns people they're being filmed, "the high-tech specs have also turned into a liability, as some are calling the gadget 'pervert glasses...'" Some people are using the glasses — which look like a pair of regular spectacles — to…
Meta's smart glasses are facing a backlash over privacy concerns, writes the Los Angeles Times. The glasses, which resemble regular spectacles, have been used to surreptitiously record people without their knowledge and share the videos on social media. Some users have been covertly filming in places like gyms and during intimate moments, leading to widespread concern.
Meta has updated its glasses to address these issues, but the backlash has been intense, with some places banning the devices. On social media, videos of people being recorded without their consent have gone viral, causing discomfort among the subjects. Celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel and Lorde have spoken out against the devices, calling them "pervert glasses" and "not sexy."
Even Instagram, which is owned by Meta, has been taking action against accounts that post such videos. A grassroots app that warns people if they're being recorded has been downloaded over 100,000 times, reflecting the growing concern over privacy. The American Civil Liberties Union and over 70 organizations have also urged Meta to remove facial recognition features from their smart glasses. However, a Meta spokesperson stated that no final decision has been made regarding these concerns.
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