Imagine stepping out of your home unsure if a stranger is secretly recording you.
This scenario, once a dystopian fiction, is now a reality with the rise of wearable technology like Meta's AI glasses.
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Meta, one of the world's largest tech companies, has entered the wearable market with smart glasses that track health data, receive notifications, and capture video.
However, these devices have raised serious privacy and safety concerns.
Non-Consensual Recording and Harassment
Women are particularly at risk.
Men have used the glasses to record interactions without consent, posting videos on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
This trend, often called "manfluencer" content, is becoming normalized.
One woman told the BBC she was recorded and then blackmailed to remove the videos. Another described being recorded during sexual encounters without her knowledge.
As cameras become smaller and integrated into accessories, digital sexual abuse is increasing.
Meta's Safety Measures Questioned
Meta claims its glasses have an LED light that activates during recording, making it clear to others.
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The company also includes tamper detection technology to prevent covering the light. However, CNN reported that none of the women they interviewed saw the flashing light during interactions.
Meta's guidelines prohibit using the glasses for harassment or privacy infringement, but such warnings have little effect on abusers.
Some creators even teach how to bypass the LED safeguard, though Meta has updated the glasses to counter this.
Beyond individual misconduct, the surveillance potential is alarming. According to Wired, Meta quietly embedded face-recognition technology called "NameTag" into its AI app.
This feature can identify people captured by the glasses, crop faces, and encode them into biometric data.
Such technology could be exploited by stalkers or governments. While privacy concerns mount, Meta recruits celebrities like Kylie Jenner to promote the glasses, downplaying the backlash.
As tech companies expand their reach, protecting privacy becomes harder.
The normalization of surveillance technology risks a future where anyone can record or scan your face without consent.
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Today it's misogynistic videos; tomorrow, who knows?
