Meta's recent partnership with Kylie Jenner to promote its new line of AI glasses has sparked debate about the normalisation of surveillance technology through fashion marketing. Mark Zuckerberg described Jenner as 'a fashion icon,' framing the product as a style accessory rather than a privacy-invasive device. The Meta Glasses, equipped with cameras, speakers, and microphones, allow wearers to livestream, take hands-free photos and videos, and access Meta AI, raising significant safety and privacy concerns.
Surveillance as a Lifestyle Trend
The trend of turning security footage into social media content has been growing. British fashion personality Alexa Chung shared an Instagram carousel of herself entering and leaving her home, captured on her Ring security camera, which drew comments from Rita Ora and Ring itself. This type of content, while seemingly casual, normalises the presence of surveillance in everyday life. The fish-eyed lens and zoom icons evoke a voyeuristic feeling, blurring the line between public and private.
Ring's dystopian Super Bowl ad earlier this year, which used facial recognition to find a lost dog, highlighted how Amazon-owned Ring integrates with communities and law enforcement. Similarly, the rise of in-home CCTV content and modified old cameras for personal use desensitises the public to being filmed without consent.
Meta's AI Glasses and Privacy Risks
Meta's AI glasses, launched in late June, include a recording light that can be disabled by tech modders in 'stealth mode,' enabling covert filming. This poses particular risks to women and girls, who are disproportionately victims of indecent filming. Meta's choice of Kylie Jenner as the face of the product, along with DJ Peggy Gou and fashion influencers, feminises the marketing to appeal to style-conscious consumers. Zuckerberg stated, 'We partnered with Kylie. She’s such a fashion icon that it was just really fun getting a chance to work on this with her.' Jenner added, 'We love a tech moment.'
Fashion as a Smokescreen
The marketing collateral for the glasses resembles a fashion editorial, deliberately shifting focus from surveillance concerns to aesthetic appeal. This strategy aims to pacify public apprehension about intrusive tech. Meta was also exposed by Wired for quietly incorporating facial recognition technology, known internally as NameTag, into its Meta AI app, which could identify people captured by the glasses. Meta deleted the code after the news broke, but the incident underscores the potential for abuse.
Broader Implications
The normalisation of surveillance extends beyond social media. Coles, an Australian supermarket chain, partnered with US spy tech company Palantir for security methods like smart gates and motion sensors. Palantir even has a lifestyle merch brand, further glamorising surveillance tech. As Maggie Zhou, a Melbourne-based writer and fashion sustainability advocate, notes, 'We’re in a modern panopticon, willing participants in our own policing.' The rebranding of surveillance as chic risks trivialising serious privacy violations and non-consensual filming.
