Less pervert-y? Meta AI glasses will now stop recording if you cover the warning light

Meta has released a new privacy feature for its AI glasses, addressing concerns about users attempting to tamper with the recording light after a video has started. The small white LED on the glasses indicates when the camera is active, but some individuals have found ways to obscure or modify this light. With the latest update, Meta's AI glasses will now automatically disable the camera if it detects the capture LED has been covered during an active recording session.

This closes a potential loophole in the company's tamper-detection protections, which were introduced in July. The update is part of Meta's broader effort to discourage covert recording using its glasses. The company has also taken down posts offering services to modify or conceal the capture light, removed instructions on disabling the LED, and blocked searches and hashtags associated with violating content.

Meta is rolling out an awareness campaign to educate users about the capture LED and its significance. The campaign includes online videos, images, and billboards in communities with high sales of the glasses, aiming to make the warning light more recognizable to those around the wearer. While the update does not entirely resolve privacy concerns surrounding smart glasses, it should make covert recording more challenging by making it harder to defeat the light and increasing awareness of its meaning.