Meta has confirmed it will release camera-free versions of its smart glasses, called Ray-Ban Meta Audio, following widespread criticism and bans over privacy concerns. The original AI-powered glasses, launched in 2023 in collaboration with Ray-Ban, were labelled 'pervert glasses' after reports of them being used to secretly film strangers.
Audio features without the camera
The new Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses will retain all the audio abilities of the original, including making calls and playing music directly into the wearer's ears, but without the camera. According to the BBC, Meta has denied that the product was rushed out after the backlash, stating it has been in development for two years.
Ankit Brahmbhatt, Meta Glasses' head of product, told the outlet the company has 'something for everyone' when asked if the audio version could overtake the camera-enabled model's sales. The new version is said to be lighter, have better battery life, and be cheaper than the current glasses, which start from £220.
Bans and harassment concerns
The original glasses have been banned at Wetherspoons, several major theatres, Comic-Con, some schools, and Faslane, the UK's nuclear submarine base. Earlier this year, they were also banned in courts across the UK, with judicial buildings confiscating them from anyone trying to enter with them. Taking pictures and videos was already prohibited in courts, so His Majesty's Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) made it clear smart glasses would also be included in that ban.
Meta's safety guidelines state the device should not be used for 'harassment, infringing on privacy rights, or capturing sensitive information'. However, women across social media have shared how they were filmed by men without their consent, both publicly and in private.
Reported incidents and investigations
One woman claimed to the BBC that she was 'humiliated' by a video shared of her online, filmed covertly using Meta glasses, which was viewed about 40,000 times. She said the man had offered her a 'paid service' when she asked to remove it, leaving her feeling 'exploited' and 'powerless'. The man told the BBC in an email he 'does not seek to cause distress or harm'.
The Metropolitan Police did open an investigation, but 'despite initial enquiries, officers were unable to progress due to limited information'. In March, a claimant was accused by a High Court judge of wearing smart glasses to receive 'coaching' while giving evidence. According to the BBC, Judge Raquel Agnello KC asked Laimonas Jakstys to remove the glasses, which he did and then 'seemed to pause quite a bit' while answering questions. It was later found that he had been 'assisted or coached in his replies to questions put to him during cross-examination' during the January trial.
