Meta Updates Smart Glasses to Block Covert Recording

Meta Platforms Incorporated is rolling out a software update for its smart glasses, including Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta, and Meta AI models, to prevent users from covertly recording bystanders. The update closes a loophole that allowed users to start a recording while the capture LED was visible and then cover the light to hide the recording process. Under the new system, the camera will automatically stop working if the LED is covered during a recording.

This technical fix follows public backlash and reports of non-consensual filming by pranksters and pick-up artists, which led some to label the devices as pervert glasses. Meta has also removed accounts advertising tampering services, a move the company says has forced several businesses offering LED-disabling services to shut down.

Alongside the update, Meta launched a marketing and awareness campaign to educate the public on the capture LED's function. This effort includes billboards in Los Angeles and videos designed to communicate that the absence of light means no capture is occurring, aiming to build trust as AI glasses become more common.