A pair of Meta smartglasses can allow any child to be covertly filmed, and in the age of AI, tackling that risk is a challenge. The company argues that it is for individuals to ensure they don't 'actively exploit' this technology, but that won't keep children safe.
Covert filming on a train
Gaby Hinsliff recounts an experience on a train where a man was covertly photographing a toddler sitting opposite him, repeatedly zooming in and cropping images. The man was caught only because his phone screen was visible.
Meta's smartglasses and the risk
Meta's VP of wearables, Alex Himel, described using his smartglasses to film his daughter singing in a talent contest, allowing him to be 'kind of living in the moment, head up and hands free'. However, there is a risk that creeps could use them to film other people's daughters covertly. The glasses have a tiny flashing warning light when recording, but many people do not look for it.
In the age of AI, stolen images of children can be used to generate realistic-looking child abuse material. The Internet Watch Foundation warned that AI-generated material risks fuelling sexual interest in children, normalising violence, and increasing real-life offending.
History and regulation
When Google launched the first smartglasses in 2013, they did not catch on due to being too nerdy and creepy. Newer versions, like Meta's, are cooler and pitched at parents with the slogan 'never miss a moment'. Many nurseries and schools have banned them due to safeguarding concerns.
However, the technology is life-changing for blind people, helping them navigate and translate text to audio. Meta has argued that it is for individuals to ensure they do not 'actively exploit' the technology.
Regulatory options
Regulatory options include new privacy legislation to make it far clearer when glasses are recording, perhaps with an audible warning. Another option is holding manufacturers liable for malicious usage, though that could mean slow litigation. The nuclear option would be a before-market regulatory regime for novel technology, like for pharmaceuticals.
The best option, according to Hinsliff, is for the tech industry to better anticipate and design out potential harms. 'There are some things, surely, that nobody needs smartglasses to see.'
