The vast majority of people are using Meta’s new and updated Ray-Ban sunglasses for wholesome use cases like watching media on the fly, translating foreign languages, and getting mind-opening insights on things they encounter during everyday life. But now, some reports have emerged that Meta’s updated glasses may be being used for somewhat less wholesome ends.
University of San Francisco (USF) staff are warning students about an unnamed man who may have used the Ray-Ban Meta glasses to film students without their consent. The AI-powered sunglasses include a small camera, activated by voice controls or a small button on the side, that can capture footage from the wearer’s point of view.
According to an official announcement from the university, first spotted by SFGate, the man approached women on campus “with unwanted comments and inappropriate dating questions.” Reports indicate the man could be posting these interactions online on TikTok, Instagram, and potentially other social media platforms.
“While no threats or acts of violence have been reported, we want our community to stay informed and take steps to support one another,” said the official statement from the university.
The school urges any members of the student body who have been affected to alert the USF Department of Public Safety or report via the university’s app platform. Neither Meta nor Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica has commented on the reports at the time of writing.
As smart-glasses technology has gone from strength to strength in recent years, plenty of emerging privacy concerns have come to light due to their ability to easily film people without their full consent. 404 Media reported a story last year where a team of Harvard students used Meta’s Ray-Ban sunglasses, in combination with facial-recognition databases on the internet, to find the real identities of strangers on public transport.
Many of these concerns go much further back. A popular San Francisco bar banned Google Glass eyewear all the way back in 2014 due to patrons’ concerns about being filmed. Fights had broken out in bars in the area in the months prior, with a woman claiming she was attacked for wearing Google’s eyewear inside the bar.
Meta’s terms and conditions do clearly address these privacy concerns, reminding users that not “everyone loves being photographed,” and telling them not to use the glasses in sensitive areas like locker rooms.
“Stop recording if anyone expresses that they would rather opt out, and be particularly mindful of others before going live,” reads the terms.
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I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.