Senators demand answers from Meta over smart glasses privacy

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Edward Markey of Massachusetts have sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg asking the company to explain how its camera-equipped smart glasses could be used to secretly film people. They say Meta identified risks to bystander privacy before launching the glasses in 2021, and launched them anyway.

Reports from 404 Media and the BBC described men secretly filming women with the glasses while harassing them, then posting the videos online. A lawsuit and other reports claim Meta's AI contractors reviewed footage showing people undressing and in intimate situations. More than 70 people who bought, used or were recorded with the glasses have sued Meta, saying their intimate images were exposed to workers abroad.

The senators asked how Meta handles accidental camera activation and people tampering with the recording light. They also asked whether the glasses blur faces and license plates during AI interactions, when employees or contractors can access footage, when it is used to train AI models, and whether users can have their biometric data deleted. The letter also asks about Meta's human rights reviews and safety testing before launch. Meta has until Thanksgiving to respond.

Meta has added safeguards that disable recording when the warning light is covered. But one reviewer says a small light offers little protection once footage has already been recorded and shared.

Other officials are also moving. France, Germany and the Netherlands are considering bans while they examine whether the glasses meet privacy laws. Norway is preparing restrictions in public spaces, Oslo has banned the glasses in schools, and courts in England, Wales and New York have imposed restrictions. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have banned secret recording in private business spaces.