Meta wants its AI glasses to seem less creepy. Its AI strategy says otherwise.
Meta is adding a new safeguard to stop people from secretly recording others with its AI glasses. But the update comes as the company continues to expand how much personal data its AI products collect and use.
Meta’s AI glasses have a growing reputation as a creepy technology . The company hopes to change that opinion by announcing an update that will disable the camera if the LED light that indicates the glasses are recording has been tampered with.
The move is seemingly a concession to consumer sentiment that the glasses aren’t just fun, fashionable accessories, happily promoted by Kylie Jenner, but have serious implications for consumer privacy: They can be abused as surveillance devices.
Yet, even as Meta touts the new safeguard this week, the company is also pushing products and features that ask users to surrender more of their privacy to the company.
Whether that’s training its AI on your images , enabling AI features using your personal content unless you opt out, or exploring ways to continuously record or use biometric facial recognition , Meta’s vision of the future seems to always depend on collecting more of your personal data.
In its blog post about the new camera safety feature, the company pats itself on the back, noting that “no other kind of camera has done this and we’re proud to lead the industry forward.” However, Meta also admits that the move was necessary because some people had been using tape to cover the LED light, which had already forced Meta to adapt its tech to disable recording when the LED is blocked.
Determined, those same AI glasses creeps would then use “sophisticated efforts to modify or destroy the capture LED,” Meta’s announcement explains.
In other words, Meta is confirming that some people who use AI glasses have hidden agendas — namely a desire to record situations or people ( often women ) without their consent.
Despite this, the company is reportedly testing a prototype of AI glasses that would “continuously collect audio while taking photos every few seconds,” sources recently told Financial Times .
Meta’s blog post about the glasses feature attempts to assuage people’s fears about the devices’ privacy by answering questions like “who can see the photos and videos I take on my glasses?” Meta answers by promising, “You, and only you — unless you choose to share them.” Yet, Meta’s privacy policy has explained that any image you share with Meta AI can be used to train its AI .
All the while, the company is facing multiple investigations and lawsuits over Meta AI glasses privacy violations. One lawsuit comes after Meta notably canceled a contract with an outsourced tech firm after some of its Kenyan workers alleged they had to view graphic content, like sex, nudity, and people using the toilet , while training Meta’s AI using people’s Meta AI glasses’ videos.
These are hardly Meta’s first scrapes with privacy violations or safety measures, either.
Arguably, Meta’s reputation on privacy has been tainted for years after numerous leaks and lost lawsuits about its alleged lack of child safety measures and desire for growth at all costs . There are books by whistleblowers documenting its alleged abuses , not to mention previous large-scale privacy disasters, like the Cambridge Analytica data scandal and others .
After the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, Meta now insists on its Privacy Progress Update page , “Since 2019, we’ve invested significantly in people, products, and technology to continue to evolve our rigorous privacy program.”
Still, the company plows forward with what many people would consider privacy-violating ideas. Case in point: on the same day it announced the Meta glasses’ new safeguard, it shared that Meta AI can now use anyone’s public Instagram photos to make AI images, unless you opt out .
It also built features to use Meta AI on images in your Camera Roll you’ve never shared and implemented such poor privacy controls in its Meta AI app, leading users to essentially dox themselves by revealing their embarrassing searches .
This is the same company that Apple wouldn’t partner with due to privacy concerns , that records its employees’ keystrokes to train its AI , and that plans to sell targeted ads based on data in your AI chats.
So, while an LED safeguard on AI glasses might be a necessary feature, consumers clearly still have many reasons to remain distrustful of how social media will use their images and data, especially in its broader AI plans.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission . This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Last chance to save up to $190 on TechCrunch Founder Summit. Join 1,000+ founders and VCs at all stages for real-world scaling insights and connections that move the needle. Savings end June 26, 11:59 p.m. PT .
If you use Google, you’re training its AI. Here’s how to opt out. Sarah Perez
If you use Google, you’re training its AI. Here’s how to opt out.
If you use Google, you’re training its AI. Here’s how to opt out.
Reddit is using LLMs to solve a problem LLMs largely created Amanda Silberling
Reddit is using LLMs to solve a problem LLMs largely created
Reddit is using LLMs to solve a problem LLMs largely created
Amazon will stop accepting new customers for Mechanical Turk Anthony Ha
Amazon will stop accepting new customers for Mechanical Turk
Amazon will stop accepting new customers for Mechanical Turk
5 desk gadgets that can make your workday better Aisha Malik
5 desk gadgets that can make your workday better
5 desk gadgets that can make your workday better
Chevy built an all-American EV truck — why is nobody buying it? Tim De Chant
Chevy built an all-American EV truck — why is nobody buying it?
Chevy built an all-American EV truck — why is nobody buying it?
Mark Zuckerberg tells staff that AI agents haven’t progressed as quickly as he’d hoped Lucas Ropek
Mark Zuckerberg tells staff that AI agents haven’t progressed as quickly as he’d hoped
Mark Zuckerberg tells staff that AI agents haven’t progressed as quickly as he’d hoped
Jersey Mike’s IPO illustrates how bad the AI hype has become Julie Bort
Jersey Mike’s IPO illustrates how bad the AI hype has become
Jersey Mike’s IPO illustrates how bad the AI hype has become
Key takeaways
- Meta's update to its AI glasses reflects an attempt to address privacy concerns but raises questions about the company's true intentions.
- The testing of prototypes that continuously collect audio may indicate Meta's willingness to challenge the boundaries of individual privacy.
- The current scenario highlights the need for a broader debate on technology ethics and surveillance, especially in the Brazilian context.
Editorial analysis
Meta's recent update to its AI glasses, aimed at alleviating privacy concerns, reveals a significant dilemma at the intersection of technology and ethics. In Brazil, where data privacy is an increasingly relevant topic, especially with the LGPD (General Data Protection Law), this issue becomes even more pertinent. Meta's attempt to calm consumer fears by implementing safeguards acknowledges that public acceptance is crucial for the success of its innovations. However, the contradiction between promoting features that collect personal data and implementing security measures raises questions about the company's true intentions.
Moreover, the fact that Meta is testing prototypes that continuously collect audio while taking photos every few seconds suggests that the company is willing to push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable in terms of privacy. This could have direct implications for the Brazilian market, where consumers are becoming more aware and critical of the use of their personal information. Technology companies operating in Brazil must be mindful of these dynamics, as public resistance could lead to stricter regulations.
The current scenario also highlights the need for a broader debate on technology ethics. As companies develop devices that can be used for surveillance, society must ask how far innovation should be prioritized over individual privacy. What is observed with Meta may reflect a broader trend in the tech sector, where data collection is often justified in the name of personalization and enhancing user experience. Brazil, with its cultural and social diversity, could serve as a testing ground for these issues, shaping how companies approach privacy and ethics in their future innovations.
What this coverage includes
- Clear source attribution and link to the original publication.
- Editorial framing about relevance, impact, and likely next developments.
- Review for readability, context, and duplication before publication.
Original source:
TechCrunch AIAbout this article
This article was curated and published by AIDaily as part of our editorial coverage of artificial intelligence developments. The content is based on the original source cited below, enriched with editorial context and analysis. Automated tools may assist with translation and initial structuring, but publication decisions, factual review, and contextual framing remain editorial responsibilities.
Learn more about our editorial process