Meta's Ray-Bans go viral for all the wrong reasons, and the blockchain can't redact that

Meta's AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses have drawn a wave of public backlash and regulatory scrutiny, with critics labeling them "pervert glasses" over privacy concerns tied to covert filming and data handling. A January BBC investigation found that women were being secretly filmed in public by wearers of the glasses, with the footage posted to TikTok without consent, attracting hundreds of thousands of views. The BBC also identified one account that posted more than 100 similar videos. A February joint investigation by Swedish newspapers reported that Nairobi-based contractors hired to train Meta's AI reviewed footage from the glasses that included people using the bathroom, getting undressed, changing clothes, credit card numbers, and having sex, renewing concerns about how captured video is shared with Meta's AI systems.

In March, Meta faced a class-action lawsuit alleging the company failed to clearly disclose that human contractors could review content shared with Meta AI. That same month, Democratic senators Edward Markey, Jeff Merkley, and Ron Wyden questioned the company about reported facial recognition plans, warning the technology could enable real-time identification, stalking, and harassment. Researcher Jackie Singh wrote on X that "Meta has managed to turn every wearer into an unpaid informant and everyone else into an extra who never signed a release," adding that "any venue that respects its patrons should treat the glasses the way it would treat a man filming the room all night — which is exactly what they are."

In April, the ACLU and 75 other organizations urged Meta to abandon plans to add facial recognition to future versions of the glasses, calling the technology "a red line society must not cross" and warning it could allow wearers to identify strangers in public and link them to personal information. The following month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into Meta's AI glasses over concerns the devices could secretly record people, collect facial data, and mislead consumers about how their personal information is used. Privacy-focused firm DuckDuckGo also weighed in, announcing its own camera-free wearable and stating that "hands-free recording isn't worth the risks to our safety and privacy."

In July, Meta updated its Ray-Ban smart glasses with additional privacy features, though the company has continued to face criticism from civil liberties groups, lawmakers, and competitors over the design and deployment of the devices.