Meta is rolling out an update to its smart glasses that will stop recording if the built-in LED indicator light is covered during use, closing a loophole that allowed users to hide the warning signal from people around them. The change, reported by The Verge, comes after users discovered they could start a video and then place a sticker over the light to avoid alerting bystanders. Meta had previously disabled recording if the light was covered before capture began, but the reverse sequence was not blocked. Alex Himel, Meta’s executive vice president of wearables, said in a Threads post that the camera will now cease functioning if the light is obscured mid-recording, ensuring the LED can reliably warn others when photos or videos are being taken. Himel added that only a small minority try to bypass these protections and that the company will keep refining its approach.
The update does not address all potential workarounds, as users may still modify the glasses or tamper with the light in ways that do not interrupt recording, and it remains unclear whether semi-transparent stickers that dim the light would trigger the new safeguard. The announcement arrives amid regulatory scrutiny in the European Union, where data regulators are investigating whether Meta adequately tested the LED light to ensure the public understands its function. Germany is considering banning the glasses after a nonprofit filed a criminal complaint alleging violations of the country’s strict privacy laws, and other EU nations are weighing restrictions on the technology over concerns about mass surveillance. The European Data Protection Board is expected to release a report later this summer outlining potential actions to prevent unsolicited recording across the bloc.
In the United States, a proposed nationwide class action lawsuit is advancing against Meta, accusing the company of false advertising in its marketing of the AI glasses. The plaintiffs claim Meta has long promoted the glasses as “Built for your privacy and others’ too,” but in reality users cannot control what happens to their data or the data they capture of people around them. The lawsuit alleges that Meta does not disclose that human data annotators in Kenya review all footage recorded by the glasses to train Meta’s AI, including deeply personal videos such as those depicting sexual activity, bathroom visits, credit card information, or private text messages. One example cited in the complaint describes a user setting the glasses on a nightstand, which then recorded video of his wife undressing, and that footage was sent overseas for review without the woman’s knowledge.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages, including potentially punitive damages, for every person in the US who bought the glasses under the alleged false premise that Meta prioritizes privacy. They have also asked the court to force Meta to change its advertising, preventing the company from marketing the glasses as privacy-protecting, and to improve public awareness campaigns that fully explain the privacy risks. The lawsuit argues that if Meta’s alleged deception continues, the company will treat wearers as a lucrative data source without meaningfully protecting them or the public, noting that consumer data is highly valuable for AI production as public data sources become exhausted. Meta has not yet filed a response in the litigation but continues to state that the glasses are designed with privacy in mind. Alongside the recording-light update, Meta has launched a new marketing campaign, including a Los Angeles billboard showing a smiling girl wearing the glasses with her fingers pointing to the bright LED, captioned with messages emphasizing that the light lets everyone know when recording occurs and that the product is designed for everyone, not just wearers.
More AI news from TechManNews.
