Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses

Risks and harms 🛑

• Dual/multi-use. Critics argue that photos and videos of everyone in the sights of Ray-Ban Meta smart glass wearers can easily and quickly be used, manipulated or otherwise abused, for multiple purposes, including impersonation, fraud, reputational attacks and individual and mass surveillance.

• Privacy. Touted as having been 'designed for privacy', Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have been primarily designed with the privacy of their users in mind rather than the people in their sights, according to several high-profile journalists, commentators and privacy advocates.

Transparency and accountability 🙈

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are seen to pose several important transparency and accountability limitations.

• Data collection. Meta's privacy policy for its smart glasses is broad and lacks specificity about what data is collected, how it is stored, and the purposes for which it is used. Users must link their glasses to a Facebook account and use the Facebook View app, which collects extensive personal data, including health information, location, contacts, and more. This raises concerns about users being unaware of the extent of data harvesting involved in using the product.

• Data use. Photos and videos captured with the glasses are sent to Meta's cloud for processing and may be used to train AI systems. This raises questions about consent and accountability, especially when images could be captured without the knowledge of individuals in the frame. Users have little control over how their data—and potentially that of others—will be used in AI training.

• Data abuse. Meta's privacy policy includes clauses about collecting data "to respond proactively or reactively to any potential abuse or policy violations." This vague language creates uncertainty about what constitutes abuse and how data may be collected or used beyond the user's immediate understanding.

• Recording notification. Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses feature a small LED light to indicate when recording is in progress; however, this light is often not visible in bright conditions. Critics argue that this design flaw undermines the transparency of the recording process, allowing users to capture images and videos of bystanders without their consent, which poses serious ethical and legal questions.

• Regulatory compliance. Despite existing regulations such as the EU's GDPR, there are concerns that Meta may not fully comply with these laws regarding data protection and user rights. The company's history of privacy violations further exacerbates skepticism about its commitment to safeguarding user data.

Research, advocacy

• EDRi (2021). Why you shouldn't buy Facebook Ray-Ban smart glasses

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://theconversation.com/metas-ai-powered-smart-glasses-raise-concerns-about-privacy-and-user-data-238191

• https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/09/15/1035785/why-facebook-ray-ban-stories-metaverse/

• https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/facebook-is-making-camera-glasses-ha-ha-oh-no

• https://www.inputmag.com/tech/ray-ban-stories-aka-facebook-glasses-are-a-privacy-nightmare

• https://www.ft.com/content/f06f8102-aaf7-44fc-9988-74ad4d728209

• https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/facebook-smart-glasses-ray-ban-stories-review-familiar/

• https://theconversation.com/ray-ban-stories-let-you-wear-facebook-on-your-face-but-why-would-you-want-to-167708

• https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/opinion/2021/09/10/facebooks-new-ray-ban-smart-glasses-turn-a-blind-eye-to-privacy.html

• https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/20/facebook-warned-over-very-small-indicator-led-on-smart-glasses-as-eu-dpas-flag-privacy-concerns/

• https://ww.itpro.co.uk/security/privacy/360936/irish-dpc-facebook-smart-glasses-privacy-concerns