US police fear Meta glasses could secretly record inside jails and detention centers

A pair of smart glasses can look almost identical to ordinary eyewear — and that is exactly what has law enforcement agencies on edge. 

Here's what to know

Across the United States, officials are raising alarms that devices such as Ray-Ban Meta glasses could be used to secretly film inside jails, detention centers, and other secure spaces.

According to The Guardian, an internal memo sent by the New York Police Department's counterterrorism unit in January 2025 said the glasses may present a "potential security and counterintelligence threat." 

Documents reviewed by The Guardian — about a dozen that had not previously been disclosed — indicate agencies from Maine to California are focused on whether built-in microphones and cameras could capture patrol patterns, security procedures, surveillance-camera locations, and cell layouts.

Part of the problem, officials said, is how little the devices stand out. Video-recording gear is generally confiscated in detention settings, yet Meta glasses can pass at a glance for ordinary Ray-Ban or Oakley-style frames.

The documents also described fears that the glasses could secretly capture staff and facility interiors, with the footage then potentially supporting further criminal activity or even terrorism plans.

Pressure intensified after a July 2025 TikTok video was reportedly filmed inside a South Carolina detention center. According to The Guardian, the clip showed holding cells, a shower area, a packed dining hall, and other detainees.

More background

The concern extends beyond prisons. One incident cited in a January 2025 New York police memo was the New Year's Day attack in New Orleans, where a driver sent a truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring 35 others.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the attacker rode a bicycle along Bourbon Street twice in late 2024 while wearing smart glasses, suggesting he may have been scouting the area in advance.

That possibility has pushed agencies to view wearable cameras not just as privacy threats, but as tools that could aid violent reconnaissance.

It could also affect ordinary people who wear smart devices casually. Visitors to government buildings, federal workspaces, and detention facilities may face tougher screening, stricter bans, or closer inspection as officials try to keep up with fast-moving wearable tech.

What's being done?

Agencies are already responding with tighter policies. In New York, the memo instructed officers to pay close attention to any glasses left in detainees' cells.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said smart glasses are "equivalent to body cameras" and barred them from federal workspaces over concerns they might accidentally record or transmit confidential information.

Meta, for its part, has emphasized that the glasses are not designed for invisible filming. Meta's spokesperson said that "every pair has a bright white LED that flashes during photo or video recording, cannot be turned off, and that tampering with it disables the camera."

Where can I learn more?

Concerns inside detention facilities are part of a backlash over how Meta's eyewear is used in everyday life. Beyond jails and government buildings, the glasses have drawn complaints about covert filming, real-time identification, and questions over what the devices can and cannot capture.

• Meta owners increasingly leave "pervert glasses" at home as covert-recording backlash spreads.

• Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses can reportedly identify strangers in real time, deepening surveillance fears.

• Workers alleged Meta's smart glasses see everything around them, fueling privacy scrutiny.

Agencies are taking ordinary-looking wearables seriously. There are understandable concerns over how much recording and recognition power can be built into something that still looks like a normal pair of glasses.

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