They were labelled 'pervert glasses'. Will a camera-free version transform their image?
Meta is releasing a camera-free version of its Ray-Ban smart glasses called Ray-Ban Meta Audio in response to widespread privacy concerns and bans. While dropping the camera function, the new glasses retain audio features like music playback and phone calls while offering better battery life and a lighter frame.
Why it matters
This hardware pivot highlights how privacy backlashes and public scrutiny are forcing tech giants to rethink the feature sets of wearable consumer technology.
They were labelled 'pervert glasses'. Will a camera-free version transform their image?
By Zoe Kleinman , Technology editor and Luke Mintz , BBC News When Meta first launched its AI-powered smart glasses in 2023, in collaboration with the trendy sunglasses brand Ray-Ban, it unleashed a storm of controversy.
There have been multiple reports of the devices being used to harass women and girls in particular , filming them without their consent, then sharing the footage.
The image problem doesn't seem to have been cured by Meta's enlistment this summer of Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian's sister, as their prime model. The devices have been dubbed "pervert" or "creepy" glasses. In the UK, JD Wetherspoon pubs, a handful of major theatres, Comic-Con, some schools, and Faslane, home of the UK's nuclear submarines, have all chosen to ban them.
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