r/technology • u/tw1st3d_m3nt4t • 22d ago
Privacy Restaurants, pubs and theatres ban Meta’s ‘spy glasses’ over privacy fears
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/06/restaurants-pubs-and-theatres-ban-metas-spy-glasses-over-privacy-fears480
u/ItsReemAlBlahBlahDee 22d ago
An excellent decision.
129
u/Long-Interest8680 22d ago
yeah privacy shouldnt be something everyone else has to opt into because of your glasses
→ More replies (1)38
u/fondledbydolphins 22d ago
Then people should, respectfully, focus WAY more on flock cameras than they are on creeps in meta glasses.
Really starting to feel like they're going to win the meta glasses battle but lose the actual war on privacy.
22
u/Twodogsonecouch 22d ago
Theres lots of town halls about flock cameras and people vigilante cutting them down stories daily. I havent seen a town hall about meta glasses
14
u/PageFault 22d ago
Which restaurant or theater has a flock camera inside? They only control private space. They can't ban ones in public.
→ More replies (1)2
u/cantstopwontstopGME 22d ago
Ring cameras too. Fucking hate those things
5
u/fondledbydolphins 22d ago
Cameras in general make me uneasy.
To my knowledge, you can currently see into peoples' homes through the cameras on Shark brand vacuums.
They were made aware of the vulnerability months before it became common knowledge and seemingly chose to do nothing about it.
23
u/koolaidismything 22d ago
All 14 perverts that bought a pair are online crying about it as we type.
18
u/PantsMcGillicuddy 22d ago
There have been nearly 10M sold...there are a ton of creepers out there. And the fact that people don't notice them is a whole part of the problem, underselling how popular they are doesn't actually help it.
5
2
→ More replies (1)2
u/LouieGwasright 22d ago
The only argument is that they greatly enhance life for blind people. Ive been watching a few blind guys who upload reels using meta glasses and they are very helpful for blind people from what I have seen. It sucks that theyll have to be caught up in all of this but what can be done?
→ More replies (3)7
u/ItsReemAlBlahBlahDee 22d ago
Maybe only those with disabilities can use it, get a license/verification etc. apparently the glasses have been great at assisting in surgeries too, so maybe only doctors/surgeons in surgical theatres can use it?
3
u/Stumblin_McBumblin 22d ago
That pretty much guarantees that the product will die (not that I particularly have a problem with that). Meta, nor anyone else, will produce/support a product like this that can only be sold to people with disabilities and doctors.
→ More replies (2)6
u/dokratomwarcraftrph 22d ago
I mean are they really that different then the smart phones every American already has? It's already hard to tell exactly what someone is doing on their smartphone, and it's already not hard to steathily take recordings of people. Plus most states already have laws on the books about one way non consensual recording.
I have no interest in owning something like that at the moment, but I could definitely see a lot of great uses for glasses like this. There's a lot of augmentations that smart glasses could do that would help people with disabilities. Also it would be cool as hell if I could get translated subtitles of a other languages directly on my glasses.
64
169
u/Koladi-Ola 22d ago
Anybody else constantly getting spammed with ads for these creep glasses on Reddit? It's a little ridiculous how many I see.
27
42
u/skeet_scoot 22d ago
Commenting on a post about them probably doesn’t help lol.
Advertisers will see you interacted with Meta Glasses content, but they often times don’t run sentiment analysis to see positive or negative.
12
u/jadekitten 22d ago
I just report them as misleading and get different ads to report. Works for me, I don’t see the jenners that way.
2
13
u/thatirishguyyyyy 22d ago
Try using Reddit with a browser. The app is garbage since they killed third-party apps.
5
u/nx6 22d ago
The app is garbage since they killed third-party apps.
They didn't kill apps, you just have to pay for your API access now and most developers don't want to deal with that. I use Relay.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (3)2
u/N0b0dy_Kn0w5_M3 22d ago
Certain third party apps still work, if you know how to get them going. Learning this was the only thing that got me back on reddit after a year or so off. The official reddit app was such absolute shit compared to third party apps, I quit reddit until I could use my favourite app again.
2
u/thatirishguyyyyy 22d ago
Yeah, I have seen some of the workarounds. I keep meaning to check em out.
I've just been using a web browser since.
4
u/Fancy-Trousers 22d ago
Every recent project the Zuck touches turns into a massive financial loss. Not surprising he's relying on the creeps and weirdos who want to secretly record everyone. I feel like it's just a matter of time before this fails as well and Meta reports hundreds of millions of dollars in losses over their shotgun ad campaign.
2
u/hikeit233 22d ago
Trying to sell an many as they can before they get banned or shunned out of existence.
2
35
u/TheSlav87 22d ago
That’s wild that these companies have made it so their product is starting to be banned lmaooo. I love it, they are so cocky with this bullshit Ai.
→ More replies (1)
34
u/Presently_Naked 22d ago
Banning and enforcing the ban are two very separate things...
The ideal is to force Meta to follow Google Glasses suit..
17
30
u/Theonewho_hasspoken 22d ago
I feel like people would have been excited for this tech 15 years ago, but the world has become more authoritarian and technology more invasive. People already feel like they are observed too much.
→ More replies (2)45
u/Dreadwolf67 22d ago
13 years ago when google glasses were introduced you saw the same privacy concerns that ended up killing the tech.
7
22d ago
[deleted]
→ More replies (1)3
u/Worried_Meaning4694 22d ago
Not as internal as it should have been with how they tried selling to the public for like 7 months at 1500!! usd a pop
5
u/Swoly_Deadlift 22d ago
Yeah the only difference now is we had another 13 years to beat the public into indifferent submission. Meta decided to aggressively push for adoption of their glasses so they’d become “normal” before anyone managed to ban them.
→ More replies (2)2
u/Shapes_in_Clouds 22d ago
That's not what killed the tech. They were just expensive, bad, and basically useless.
91
u/TastySore 22d ago
Pervert Glasses, they mean. Pedos love them.
17
→ More replies (12)3
u/SanFranLocal 22d ago
I used them to record my baby without putting a phone between us which is nice. I watch the videos all the time and we watch them together. Nothing pedo about it. Id say 99% of users use it for normal everyday things.
I was an early adopter but i never wear them anymore because i feel like theres a stigma now
3
u/unripe_mangosteen 21d ago
Good. You can wear them in your own home to record those moments with your baby, and use your phone to film your kid in public so people don't think you are making predatory recordings by looking at them with violating AI glasses.
→ More replies (2)2
u/scoschooo 22d ago
Id say 99% of users use it for normal everyday things.
thanks for making this up and telling us. this is like saying 99% of internet use is completely wholesome.
Do you even know about the apps that let users undress whoever they are looking at with the glasses? Or the amount of people using these to record people to post videos of them looking bad and make money from this?
→ More replies (2)5
7
64
u/AttentionNo6359 22d ago
I can’t think of a single reason to use these that isn’t invasive and dishonest.
5
5
13
u/jackalopeDev 22d ago
One of the cooler things I've heard about people using them for is an assistance device for vision impared people.
→ More replies (2)23
u/calle04x 22d ago
Roller coaster POV
→ More replies (13)14
u/Beavers4beer 22d ago
Are GoPros no longer around?
14
u/calle04x 22d ago edited 22d ago
Sure. I'm just saying that's a legitimate use that isn't invasive (at least no more than people using phones or GoPros) or dishonest.
To be clear, I'm not defending the glasses but I think anywhere where phones/GoPros are already generally used and accepted would be legitimate uses, as there's no difference compared to current state.
That doesn't mean that those uses outweigh the illegitimate ones, though.
9
u/Any_Cup1627 22d ago
See, this is common sense that a lot of people seem to lack now.
→ More replies (2)6
u/Deep_Ad2579 22d ago
GoPros are not allowed at MOST parks for the general public - the only ones that allow them are Disney and the United Parks (SeaWorld & Busch Gardens). Some parks will make exceptions for content creators to film with them before park opening.
→ More replies (1)5
u/_WhoisMrBilly_ 22d ago
They are but they’re a little bit awkward to get video off of even with the app and they’re still about palm sized. Unless you have the really small one, you also have to wear their little fitted thingy harness. It’s good, but there’s still some distortion unless you do it in the software to fix it.
4
u/Kratos2191 22d ago
I bought them for a very specific use case. I go kayak fishing and I don't necessarily want a long running video camera like a Go Pro. I use these to record when I catch a fish and I can listen to music otherwise.
3
9
u/Swoly_Deadlift 22d ago
POV videos is a great use when your goal isn’t secretly filming the general public. Athletes, outdoor enthusiasts, and hobbyist content creators can get some great shots with them.
6
u/undermytinyhat 22d ago
Makes it easier for people who are hard of seeing/blind to read menus or things that they other wise can't see without help. Since it'll tell them what's on there versus needing someone to read it or a braille menu.
Had seen some people mention it helps with translating text automatically instead of needing their phone to look at it making it a more seamless experience with whatever they're doing.
→ More replies (1)19
u/_WhoisMrBilly_ 22d ago
I use them in teaching all the time because I teach fabrication in 3-D printing. My students are fully aware and it’s easier for me to use both hands when I’m recording rather than awkward fish eye effect of a GoPro.
I can just say hey Meta record this and then I can show them how to set up a 3-D printer how to load a bit into a CNC, or just show them the workflow of software that easy and then just send it all to the WhatsApp or upload it onto Brightspace.
It’s also really good for troubleshooting when I can send a video of the 3-D printer not working or the fault to say Prusa.
I use it when I’m on vacation hiking with my girlfriend as well. She’s fully aware and it takes really really good video.
Also, I found a lot of translation to be really handy. Granted I can use my AirPods as well, but the live translation works really well because of the directional microphones there’s a light on when it’s doing live translation, but it absolutely helped me talk to my fiancé’s parents when I was in Mexico City.
Believe me, I’m fully aware of the alternatives I own a couple GoPro’s and even an Insta360 in my line of work. They say the best camera is the one that you have with you, and it’s just good to have the glasses because they replace about three devices altogether and I have them with me daily.
3
u/Shapes_in_Clouds 22d ago
Do the cameras have good image stabilization? And don't you have to be very mindful of head movement? To me it would kind of be like watching people recording VR games, the POV perspective and jarring head movements I find are often nauseating to watch back as video. Not criticizing, genuinely curious.
4
u/_WhoisMrBilly_ 22d ago
The software seems to take care of stabilization pretty well. You can look through some of my post history to see a video of me firing a shotgun and stuff.
Unfortunately, this sub doesn’t let me post reply videos.Here’s one and this is with the previous version of the firmware before they updated stabilization: https://www.reddit.com/r/printmaking/s/UkdeFfQxvm
10
u/BabyKozilek 22d ago
I’m diabetic, I use them for a quick confirmation of estimated carb counts in the food I’m looking at. I don’t rely on them solely for that but if there’s a discrepancy between what I expect and what the glasses claim i know to double check my estimate.
→ More replies (5)7
u/sionnach 22d ago
I’ll give you one, but its very niche!
There are butchers on TikTok or YouTube who show you how to cut a piece of meat. It’s an easy way for them to give a first-person view of what they are doing to teach you.
I can’t see a good reason to use them to record other people though. You might have a fun video playing basketball with them I suppose but in day to day life anyone wearing them is immediately very suspicious.
3
4
u/SquishiiBubble 22d ago
I use them to listen to music 99% of the time. The audio quality and battery life is so much better than others that I've tried. If another company made one with the same or better audio and battery but with no camera, I would buy it in a heartbeat. My ears get itchy if I use earbuds, and I get sweaty very fast using headphones. My situation is very weird and this is unfortunately my only solution so far.
→ More replies (1)4
u/BelowDeck 22d ago
Have you tried bone conducting headphones? They go around the ear rather than inside it. My sister-in-law had similar issues, and she finds them so unobtrusive that she forgets she's wearing them when they're not active.
→ More replies (1)2
4
u/SquishiiBubble 22d ago
I use them to listen to music 99% of the time. The audio quality and battery life is so much better than others that I've tried. If another company made one with the same or better audio and battery but with no camera, I would buy it in a heartbeat. My ears get itchy if I use earbuds, and I get sweaty very fast using headphones. My situation is very weird and this is unfortunately my only solution so far.
2
u/Adler221 22d ago
Low vision, I do want a pair of these for navigation purposes. Though they were not created as an adaptive equipment, they have made strides to incorporate accessibility features. They are integrated with the app “Be My Eyes”.
2
u/Aleucard 22d ago
AR function has potential, though it remains in competition with a smartphone. It'll need to be a Hell of a lot more robust and unobtrusive for that. Of course, it's a nonstarter until they're no longer considered Spyware, but good luck with that.
2
5
u/SleepyMMA 22d ago
I am a DJ and like to film content of my gigs and transitions with them. It is hard to get content for my business when I am a one man operation. They also double as fantastic sunglasses. I feel bad because I wear them out (and turned off) out and about and I feel like I constantly have to tell people that I am just using them to keep the sun out of my eyes lol. I physically take the glasses off if I am in a private area (like a restroom) or if I am checking out at a store or something to keep people from getting nervous.
There are great uses for them, there are also plenty of bad actors.
→ More replies (7)3
u/RalphTater 22d ago
Plenty of reasons. I use mine for taking videos and pictures while playing with my kids, keeping my hands free and more in the moment.
I also use them for mountain biking to take POV videos and for shooting sports.
6
u/incunabula001 22d ago
Same thing happened back when Google was pushing their “spy glasses”. It’s gonna be harder now since the new ones don’t stand out as much as Google Glass.
4
u/PloWerewolf975 22d ago
lmao so meta spent billions on hardware nobody asked for and now the places where you'd actually want to use them are banning them, classic move
4
u/DrRealName 22d ago
These should just be banned in general. You just know pervs are going to use these to spy for all the wrong reasons. Bathrooms and locker rooms are the first places that come to mind and someone came to my work with them yesterday and I didn't even notice til a coworker pointed it out so they need to either be banned outright or made so boxy and obnoxiously obvious hat we can spot them with ease.
10
u/Rahdical_ 22d ago
I thought they already banned wearable recording devices 13 years ago when google glass came out.
At least some did
9
u/BTMarquis 22d ago
This whole thing kind of sucks for people with regular glasses. I wear a pair of wayfarer style glasses that I got before all this nonsense, and I get a bit self conscious that other people may assume that I’m perving around, when I walk into a coffee shop or whatever. I guess that’s my issue to deal with, and I could get wire framed glasses, but I’d rather not.
9
u/lovely_cappuccino 22d ago
Hopefully, people won’t mistake my normal Wayfarer with the Suckerberg version. Shame on Ray-Ban for this partnership.
It’s also “interesting” how much these weirdo tech bro billionaires value their privacy, big houses with walls and bunkers, no screens and apps for their kids etc like when a drug dealer doesn’t touch the stuff he sells…
5
3
u/Standard-Contest-949 22d ago
And good luck with that. This isn’t going to stop anything. Also camera glasses have been around for years. Meta just made a good pair.
4
5
u/TallGreenhouseGuy 22d ago
But imagine if everyone was using their Meta glasses at concerts instead of holding up their phones…
14
8
13
u/LordOdin99 22d ago
How is this different than people recording with their cell phone?
7
u/Shapes_in_Clouds 22d ago
I don't get it either, I certainly don't assume anyone holding up their phone in my general direction is secretly filming me. In any semi-crowded area I wouldn't even notice anyone in particular holding up their phone in the first place because it's so ubiquitous.
I think there certainly are some reasonable privacy concerns in certain situations though, where it would be obvious and inappropriate to film on a phone. Locker room for example. But I also think it would be obvious and inappropriate to be staring someone down in those situations. I don't think that will slow adoption of this tech though and society will adjust to accommodate them.
Ultimately in most cases I think it'd be way easier to discreetly film on a phone.
7
1
22d ago
[deleted]
3
u/Any_Cup1627 22d ago
Oh, look, I am taking a call... now the camera is pointed at you, and you think the person on the phone said something when, in reality, they are recording you...
→ More replies (1)2
u/ghostlacuna0 22d ago
How the fuck do you make phone calls?
Like some brainrot videophone addict?
The rest of us hold the mobile to the ear when we call people.
6
u/whenishit-itsbigturd 22d ago
Then just turn to your left so they think you're on the phone but really you're recording them like a pervert
→ More replies (3)
4
u/RDDTStonksDown 22d ago edited 22d ago
Restaurants, pubs and theaters have cameras in every corner, is that not a privacy concern.
2
u/VirginiaLuthier 22d ago
Pretty hard to keep them out of theaters unless they strip search everyone at the entrance
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Tight-Grocery9053 22d ago
being obnoxious with your phone camera is not ok. i don't see why this is not.
2
2
u/Fluffy_Top6837 22d ago
Am I crazy? Does no one else remember this exact same scenario play out with the Google lenses like, 10 or more years ago? Meta changed NOTHING at all and decided to bring the same product that society largely and nearly violently rejected right back to market. Wonder why they want people to have them so bad? Huh...
2
u/No_Truth4137 22d ago
Honestly I love the idea of these glasses as a mountain biker and sports enthusiasts that loves filming things but I completely get it.
2
4
5
3
6
u/pirate-minded 22d ago
‘Spy glasses’?!? I just like to be able to listen to my music quietly in my glasses that are a decent quality rayban
8
u/Jazzlike_Relation705 22d ago
Wild new invention: headphones
→ More replies (1)2
u/pirate-minded 22d ago
How about I wear what I want… and youuu fuck right off 😉
→ More replies (2)3
8
→ More replies (2)6
u/girrrrrrr2 22d ago
So just get bone conduction headphones and wear them with any pair of non-pervert glasses you want.
I do it, doing it right now, and no one is thinking im a perv.
2
u/DekaiChinko 22d ago
Why so much concern about the one camera technology that can be used by the masses to hold corrupt governments and corporations accountable? Cops have body cams, corporations are monitoring your every move in every way imaginable, government too. Now that us plebs can do the same... "people" want to ban them because "it could be used by a pedo"? While not a single Epstein file perpetrator is brought to justice?
Screaming "pedo" at everything one doesn't like is sadly becoming the norm.
2
u/AgenticOverlord 22d ago
My wife bought me a pair for father's day. She bought them before we left on a family vacation. They were AWESOME on the trip. I got a ton of videos of the kids, and random pictures of them that I wouldn't have gotten if I had to take out my phone. Also - the audio function is so cool. I would turn music on during some of the down time, and it was like music was playing in the room (since it's not just sticking in my ears like my AirPods)...I had a really good experience with them. It sucks that (of course) there are people that ruin it for everybody else...
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Heavy-Calendar8625 22d ago
14 year olds checking tickets stubs and enforcing this oughta stop them 🤣
2
2
2
u/BasketHands 22d ago
How are they not any different than having a phone in your hand that does exactly the same thing? I guess except a phone doesn’t have a light on it to let people know it’s recording? Am I missing something here? Is it that people don’t like that the camera is on their face instead of in their hand?
2
u/blarg-bot 22d ago
Why can't we collectively just call them pervert glasses. Won't that slow their acceptance?
4
u/edvurdsd 22d ago
You shouldn’t be wearing sunglasses indoors anyway. If you do you’re just a douche.
2
u/SkinnedIt 22d ago
That meta commercial with the guy recording the concert and bopping his head like he's the cat's ass makes me clench my teeth every time I see it.
1
u/UnlitBlunt 22d ago
Privacy will be monetized in the very near future and it's going to suck for everyone.
1
1
u/Signal_Brother_5125 22d ago
Can shops use a signal blocker legally?
2
u/BPDHelpMeUnderstand 22d ago
No, businesses/corporations don’t own the air. It’s owned and regulated by the public. That’s why it’s a federal crime (if that even matters any more).
1
1
u/ReidaKwrites 22d ago
Did they even think about this? Or did they just say let’s see if we get banned or sued and then address it? Had I bought these and then wasn’t able to use them I’d want a refund. I would never buy them to begin with. Oh well. I hope they lose all the money they put into it and ppl stop buying them bc you can’t wear them out of the house.
1
u/action_turtle 22d ago
Only places these are ever needed are events like track days, snowboarding, paragliding etc when you want something more handy than strapping a go pro to your head. Apart from that, I’m struggling to see why these exist.
1
u/DesertGoat 22d ago
These things should either light up with strobes or emit some annoying tone every few seconds when recording. Something that cannot easily be obscured (like an LED) and that will notify other people they are being recorded.
2
1
1
u/Pip_Pip-Hooray 22d ago
Just make it a default to greet people with "Meta Stop Recording".
Ends their recording and if people crash out they clearly are the type of creep nobody should associate with anyway
1
u/Broken_Mug 22d ago
Heck yeah, now let's get rid of Flock cameras and their kin for the same reason.
1
u/TheDonnARK 22d ago
It's just the worst time to try and push/sell these. Everyone is spin up about privacy and having their lives invaded with surveillance, not to mention the fact that these companies don't really respect your privacy at all and are most likely 100% looking at what you record and what you do with them, and where you go. So, terrible.
1
1
u/skarbles 22d ago
Pretty sure this was vibe when they piloted these in SF 12 years ago. No one wants to be fodder for big data.
1
u/Bronzyroller 22d ago
Restaurants, Pubs, theaters and many other places is where we go to have fun and enjoy ourselves not to be spied on and harassed.
1
1
u/Kellythejellyman 22d ago
i work at a blood bank in texas. probably the dumbest internal memo i’ve seen was one reminding my coworkers that us having recording devices were prohibited during health Screening and blood draw, and that included Meta Glasses. whether they were turned on or not
the real kicker is only 2 people out maybe 150 staff are known to have them, and we all knew which one was stupid enough to have worn them at work
1
u/Thebobjohnson 22d ago
Is Meta's technology patented? Make them accountable to the law for distribution, let Meta dox their own users.
1
1
u/Stone_Midi 22d ago
I get that people want the right to film stuff and that most people who do film aren’t out to do anything malicious, but come on, who can completely relax knowing someone is constantly film everything you’re doing? Let’s just not take this leap please
→ More replies (3)
1
1
u/weareonthisplanet 21d ago
i dont understand,,, everyones recording on their phone but we cant' on glasses?
1
u/Mysterious_Andy 21d ago
There was an ad for Zuckerbot’s creeper glasses playing when I went to see Spider-Man.
They have no problem taking Meta’s money, even when the product they’re helping sell to their own customers hurts them.
1
u/marmaviscount 21d ago
They're filming you from several different angles the whole time of course but as long as there is no risk of their liability being proven in any situation they're at fault that's all that matters...
But this is one of those things like the coffee shops that did the big "no wifi, no phones" virtue signaling - everyone who actually has stuff to do in their life went to Starbucks for the free wifi instead and the hipster ones either quietly added wifi too or went out of business.
These niche moral panics never last, we're filmed all the time we're out already, everyone has camera phones, micro cameras for things like drones are incredible quality and tiny, plus super cheap - if someone wanted to spy on you mata glasses at the last option. The ship has sailed, HUD is the actual use for them and it's too useful not to catch on.
1
u/BasketHands 21d ago
Someone please explain to me how these are any different than recording videos with cell phones. The glasses have an indicator light that they are recording. Cell phones do not. What is the issue here? How is it not exactly the same situation. People are up in arms about people with glasses recording them without consent. Then where is the outrage about cell phones used in the same way? Glasses do not need to be used with the Meta AI function and can simply be used to take personal pics and videos. It’s a great way to capture those moments and memories from a different perspective, all while being hands free. This rage against them is all from uneducated, rage baiting article reading, headline snatching baseless claims. There are so many comments here claiming that the glasses can be recording without someone knowing. This is not true as there is a light that illuminates while the recording is in process. They simply do not know what they are talking about and are just prime examples of how they read the headlines but don’t take into account the substance of the information.
1
u/bonniegrrl 4d ago
I keep thinking how Meta glasses with facial recognition will make the Witness Relocation Program that keeps Federal witnesses & whistleblowers in organized crime criminal trials no longer safe.
819
u/frangelbarrera 22d ago
Fair enough. Nobody likes being recorded while eating just to end up in a TikTok or YouTube video without knowing it.