Meta’s ‘pervert glasses’ fuels trend of creeps secretly filming women, posting videos online without consent: report
The New York Post reports that Meta’s Ray Ban smart glasses are being used by some men and “pickup” influencers to secretly film women in public places, including bars, streets, shopping areas and nightlife districts. The videos are often posted on TikTok and Instagram without the women’s knowledge or consent.
The article says the trend has led critics to call the devices “pervert glasses.” In one example, Kassy Zanjani from Vancouver said she felt shocked, anxious and humiliated after discovering that a casual conversation with a stranger had been recorded and turned into a viral video.
Privacy and civil liberties groups warn that the risk could become much worse if Meta adds facial recognition to the glasses. More than 70 advocacy groups urged Mark Zuckerberg not to allow real time identification of strangers, arguing that it could enable stalking, harassment, doxxing and abuse, especially against women and vulnerable people.
Meta said its competitors offer facial recognition but Meta does not, and that any such feature would be approached carefully. The company also said people must follow the law and that its glasses include an LED light that turns on during recording. Critics argue the light can be covered or missed, making covert recording easy.
The article also cites investigations claiming that footage from Meta glasses can include highly private scenes, such as people undressing or using the bathroom, and that some material may be reviewed by human contractors for AI training. Critics say privacy safeguards, including face blurring, do not always work.
