{
  "id": 9400904,
  "title": "‘It’s just because it’s a new form factor’: Qualcomm’s XR SVP defends smart glasses against privacy panic ahead of Meta Connect",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/its-just-because-its-a-new-form-factor-qualcomms-xr-svp-defends-smart",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-23T19:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Guide",
    "slug": "tom-s-guide",
    "url": "https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/smart-glasses/its-just-because-its-a-new-form-factor-qualcomms-xr-svp-defends-smart-glasses-against-privacy-panic-ahead-of-meta-connect"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Smart glasses have become increasingly popular, but their face-mounted cameras have sparked privacy concerns, particularly as Meta Connect approaches. At the Snapdragon Summit, Ziad Asghar, Qualcomm's SVP and GM of XR, defended the smart glasses category. While Qualcomm's hardware-level privacy tools are impressive, they rely on consumer behavior and corporate accountability. \"It's just a phone\" (Image credit: Future) Asghar compared the concern over smart glasses to the public's comfort with carrying multiple cameras on their phones. However, the invisibility of smart glasses' cameras makes them inherently covert, unlike smartphones. Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips have built-in technology to process privacy on-device, avoiding cloud processing. The key feature is hardware-level face obfuscation, which detects faces instead of recognizing them and covers them up. This on-device AI processing is integrated into Qualcomm's products and shared with partners. However, the issue lies with the OEMs, as they control the final product. While Qualcomm provides the enabling technologies, it's up to device manufacturers to implement the privacy protections. Asghar argued that market economics will pressure hardware makers to prioritize privacy, but history has shown that convenience often outweighs strict data privacy. Until mandatory, un-bypassable privacy protections are enforced, public trust will remain a concern for smart glasses.",
  "summary": "“It’s just a phone.” I challenged Qualcomm XR SVP Ziad Asghar on smart glasses privacy and face-blurring tech ahead of Meta Connect. Here is his response.",
  "key_points": [
    "Smart glasses privacy concerns arise ahead of Meta Connect",
    "Qualcomm SVP Ziad Asghar defends smart glasses category",
    "On-device AI processing and hardware-level face obfuscation protect privacy"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Android Authority",
        "title": "Meta is working on making Muse its smart glasses assistant",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/meta-is-working-on-making-muse-its-smart-glasses-assistant",
        "published": "2026-09-23T14:44:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Techmeme",
        "title": "A live blog of Meta Connect 2026, where a new pair of Meta Glasses without cameras onboard and a new VR headset are expected (Engadget)",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/a-live-blog-of-meta-connect-2026-where-a-new-pair-of-meta-glasses",
        "published": "2026-09-23T22:55:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}