Most people have heard of smart glasses, but how many know what they actually do?
When someone films with a phone, it’s usually obvious because they have to hold it up and point it at you. Smart glasses are different. Their cameras are hidden in what appears to be a regular pair of glasses. Someone could talk to you and record at the same time, and you might not notice.
Imagine you are walking down the street, and someone stops you to ask a question. You answer, move on, and forget about it.
Later, you come across a video of yourself online. It has thousands of views. Strangers are forming opinions about you based on this footage, and you had no idea you were being filmed.
This is what makes smart glasses concerning. However, the issue isn’t just the camera itself. Many smart glasses have a small LED light to show when they’re filming. However, some users have already figured out how to turn off or hide these lights. If the warning light is hidden, no one can be sure if they’re being recorded.
The technology itself isn’t inherently bad, and smart glasses can be helpful. Some smart glasses can read text out loud or describe what is in front of the wearer. For example, Be My Eyes works with Ray-Ban Meta glasses, letting users talk to a volunteer who can see through the glasses and guide them.
The problem is what happens when a device that is designed to help people is instead used to invade someone else’s privacy.
Reports found that workers at Meta’s subcontractor, Sama, in Kenya reviewed videos and audio from Meta’s smart glasses to improve the technology. Some of this material included private moments where people didn’t know they were being recorded, and in some instances, faces weren’t blurred.
This is worrying because the footage doesn’t just disappear; it can become company data, even if the people recorded never agreed to it. Meta later said it stopped working with Sama, but there are still concerns about how data from these glasses are handled.
This is an area where regulation hasn’t kept up. New technology often arrives before we’ve asked enough questions about how it could be misused. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office says that devices handling personal data should clearly explain how people’s information is collected and used. People shouldn’t have to guess whether they’re being videoed or worry about where that footage might end up.
Many people are targets of online harassment and stalking. For them, the idea of being recorded by someone wearing smart glasses is not just a distant concern; it is a threat to personal safety. However, worries about how these devices might be misused often receive less attention than the focus on new technology. This means that those most at risk are too often left out of the conversation before products are released. In theory, technology should improve people’s lives. Companies and regulators need to take action to prioritise everyone’s safety by establishing guidelines for the handling of footage from smart glasses. Only by doing so can we ensure that no one is left unprotected as technology advances.
