Meta Is Disabling Cameras For Smart Glass Modders Who Tamper With The Privacy Light

Smart glasses from Meta and Ray-Ban come equipped with a camera that can snap a photo or record video of anything the wearer is looking at. If it weren't for a privacy light that pulses brightly when the camera is in use, you might never know when a smart glass wearer is recording you without consent. But here's the kicker: hardware modders developed a mod for Meta Ray-Ban glasses that blocks the LED privacy light. 

The good news is that Meta has acted quickly to address this obvious problem. Meta has rolled out a mandatory update that disables the camera whenever the privacy light LED is blocked, tampered with, or broken. Additionally, Meta claims it is actively working to remove advertisements and listings promoting LED tampering services. Action is being taken against people or businesses who sell these services.

This update is a win for privacy, albeit a small one. There are still other privacy concerns surrounding Meta smart glasses that make them a worrisome product for the general public. In February, it became known that Meta planned to add a facial recognition upgrade to smart glasses that would enable wearers to identify and look up information about people at a glance. Meta has since removed this face-recognition system from its smart glasses due to public outcry, but there's no guarantee it won't return.

After modders exploited its cameras and its facial recognition technology was utterly rejected by the public, is Meta finally at a point where it will prioritize privacy in its smart glasses products? Meta claims that users are in full control of their own information, but it was only last month that the company was forced to shut down the aforementioned facial recognition technology. Only time will tell if Meta stays on the straight and narrow.

One thing's for certain: Meta is still eager to promote its smart glasses to a broader user base. The cheaper standalone Meta Glasses are now available, and because this new lineup has dropped the Ray-Ban collaboration, they cost $160 less than a typical pair of Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 glasses – but with all the same smart features and camera integrations.

More consumers can get their hands on Meta Glasses now, so you'll have to be more careful if you're conscious about protecting your privacy. It's obvious when someone is pointing a camera or a phone at you, but now you have to be mindful of every innocuous glance, too. The update rolled out by Meta should guarantee that the privacy light LED will tip you off, but since you never know what modders will come up with next, just be aware of all the ways to tell if someone's recording you with smart glasses.