Meta's AI-powered smart glasses are facing new legal scrutiny in a class action lawsuit, with more than 70 people claiming the company captured and shared intensely personal footage in its database without their consent.
Here's what to know
According to the Los Angeles Times, an amended proposed class action filed in late August claims the smart glasses did not keep material recorded by the devices with users. Plaintiffs allege that intimate images of both wearers and people around them were shown to contractors in Kenya who review and label data for Meta's AI systems.
Plaintiffs say the glasses captured people while they were undressing, bathing, using the bathroom, having sex, and entering passwords, and that some of those recordings occurred without the subjects realizing it. Those allegations are laid out in a 230-page lawsuit filed in Northern California federal court, which accuses Meta of fraud, false advertising, and violations of consumer protection laws in multiple states.
One plaintiff, Steven Beltran, alleged that the glasses would "falsely activate twice a day." The complaint also describes a California user identified as PL18 who said he later found photos of family members in the bathroom in his gallery after leaving the eyewear on a bathroom counter.
Ahdoot & Wolfson principal Tina Wolfson said the dispute also focuses on surveillance and whether people consented.
Meta has disputed the allegations. "If you use Meta AI, we may review that data to help improve our products and people's experiences - this works the same way as many other companies. We take steps to filter this data to help remove identifying information and to protect people's privacy," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.
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More background
Public backlash against AI-enabled glasses has continued to build, with critics branding them "pervert glasses" amid broader anxiety about cameras, microphones, and AI assistants being built into everyday accessories. Pressure is rising as Meta prepares to unveil new wearables on September 23 in Menlo Park.
The lawsuit points to a February investigation by Swedish newspapers Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten, which reported that workers at Meta subcontractor Sama in Kenya reviewed images from the glasses and that some images showed faces despite intended blurring. Plaintiffs argue that even accidental activations prompted the transmission of audio and video to Meta servers and overseas reviewers.
A separate lawsuit filed in September in Illinois alleges that Meta used public Facebook and Instagram photos to train AI behind a facial-recognition-style feature called NameTag.
Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth said in a July podcast that the tool could help people remember names, but an April letter from the American Civil Liberties Union and more than 70 organizations warned that it poses a "serious threat to privacy and civil liberties."
What's being done?
In response, Meta points to safeguards it says are built into the glasses, including a recording indicator light, blurred faces and license plates, and notices that some data may be reviewed to improve products.
The company also said it has not released NameTag. "If we do decide to roll something out, we will take a thoughtful approach and do so with full transparency," a Meta spokesman said. "One decision we can be clear about — we are not building a universal face database."
The lawsuits, however, aim to force changes. In California, plaintiffs are seeking damages and trying to stop Meta from rolling out biometric tools through its glasses. In Illinois, plaintiffs are challenging the alleged use of social media photos to create biometric identifiers without consent.
The legal fight could help define boundaries and limitations for wearable AI. As Wolfson said, "People who bought these glasses and thought that they were cool gadgets weren't aware that every time they activated AI, video was sent to train Meta's AI."
Where can I learn more?
These articles look at the privacy backlash over Meta's smart glasses, facial-recognition fears, and other AI lawsuits.
• Meta owners increasingly leave "pervert glasses" at home after covert videos of women fueled backlash.
• Workers at Meta contractor Sama in Kenya said "We see everything" while reviewing glasses footage.
• Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses sparked alarm after reports they could identify strangers in real time.
• Publishers and artists say AI training copied protected works, deepening legal pressure on tech companies.
• A new lawsuit says a Google-backed AI told kids to self-harm, intensifying scrutiny.
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