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Meta’s Ray-Bans smart glasses users have been warned that all of their private moments are being watched by humans, as an investigation found every clip is reviewed.
The Meta and Ray Ban smart glasses have become a popular choice with content creators over the last year or so. Many choose to use the glasses because it gives viewers a real-life point of view of what they’re doing.
However, the glasses and users have been criticized for being sneaky with their recordings and causing privacy issues. That has especially been the case with unsuspecting members of the public who are just trying to work or go about their day.
According to an investigation from Swedish newspapers Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten, personal footage captured on Meta’s Ray-Bans smart glasses is being shared with reviewers elsewhere.
Reviewers “see everything” from Meta glasses clips
As per the investigation, footage recorded on the glasses is reviewed by a company in Kenya, Sama, to determine what is AI and what is real.
“In some videos you can see someone going to the toilet, or getting undressed,” one Sama worker told Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten. “You understand that it is someone’s private life you are looking at, but at the same time, you are just expected to carry out the work.”
According to the report, reviewers have seen some pretty intimate moments from wearers, too. “We see everything – from living rooms to naked bodies. Meta has that type of content in its databases. People can record themselves in the wrong way and not even know what they are recording. They are real people like you and me,” they said.
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As per Meta’s own terms and conditions, information and content “that you don’t want the AIs to use and retain, such as information about sensitive topics” shouldn’t be recorded. However, there doesn’t appear to be any way to opt out of the content being shared.
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Users are warned that “Meta will review your interactions with AI,” but Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten found that there is no mention of how long that data is stored, or where it might be sent.
For anyone who is wary of bumping into someone wearing the glasses, the Nearby Glasses app warns you if a pair is active nearby. However, the app is only available to Android users right now.
