Facebook's parent company has the attention of a British digital rights watchdog after a Swedish newspaper's "concerning" report about Meta AI glasses, the BBC reported.
What's happening?
Meta's AI glasses were introduced in September, retailing at between $299 and $799.
Crafted by high-end manufacturers such as Ray-Ban and Oakley, the glasses pair with compatible devices and enable AI functionality. The features include calling, texting, engaging an onboard AI assistant, and, crucially, capturing and recording images and videos.
On Feb. 27, the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet published an investigative report on Meta AI glasses and user privacy, based on interviews with Facebook subcontractors in Kenya.
Eyeglasses are medical devices; while Meta AI glasses can be worn with nonprescription lenses, they're compatible with and used by prescription eyeglass wearers who require corrective lenses.
"In some videos you can see someone going to the toilet, or getting undressed. I don't think they know, because if they knew, they wouldn't be recording," a Nairobi-based contractor told Svenska Dagbladet.
It wasn't clear why Meta data annotators were routinely exposed to what they described as footage so intimate that "enormous scandals" would ensue if it leaked, but the Kenyan workers were so alarmed that they spoke out despite their fears of the corporation.
"We see everything — from living rooms to naked bodies. Meta has that type of content in its databases. People can record themselves in the wrong way and not even know what they are recording. They are real people like you and me," a Meta subcontractor warned.
Why is this concerning?
For starters, Facebook's 2021 rebrand to "Meta" was prompted in large part by the company's recurring privacy-related scandals.
Amnesty International's assessment of the name change went a step further than "user privacy," deeming the root of the issue to be Facebook's "surveillance-based business model predicated on human rights abuse."
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 At the time, a newly christened Meta went all-in on its "Metaverse," a virtual reality initiative that burned $70 billion in capital.
Facebook's Metaverse flopped spectacularly, just as Meta pivoted to the platform's next money burning strategy: artificial intelligence.
After pouring billions into VR, Zuckerberg went on a year-long AI "spending spree" — and despite investor concerns, Meta's plans to boost its AI spending from over $70 billion in 2025 to as much as $135 billion in 2026 met little to no resistance from Wall Street.
Unlike the Metaverse, though, its pivot amid a bigger AI boom caused economic repercussions across the United States as a growing number of data centers spiked electric bills nationwide.
As cost-burdened Americans struggled to afford both food and energy, the Department of Energy warned that data center demand imperiled an already-overworked public grid.
What's being done about it?
The U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office warned Meta that it must "clearly explain what data is collected" by Meta AI glasses and disclose "how it is used."
On Mar. 5, TechCrunch reported that Meta AI glasses users sued the company, alleging the firm "violated privacy laws and engaged in false advertising."
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