Meta is intensifying its campaign against individuals who use its smart glasses to film other people without their consent. A recent update to the wearable devices reinforced the security mechanism, preventing recordings if the LED light is covered or removed by the user.
Alex Himel, the company's vice president of augmented reality, communicated via Threads that the camera will stop operating if the light is obscured during video recording. This improvement aims to fix a vulnerability in the security system that should block recordings upon detecting changes in the LED.
Some users had discovered that simply covering the light after starting the recording was enough to bypass the security lock. The LED system of Meta glasses is automatically activated when the user starts recording, but this mechanism was being deactivated by third parties, either by removing or simply covering the light.
Although the glasses have gained popularity in the last year for enabling content creators to record first-person view videos, they have also attracted criticism from those seeking a more discreet camera. On social media, numerous reports and videos have emerged of people approaching strangers with the glasses' camera to create pranks or record embarrassing situations.
Reports indicate cases of harassment against women and provocation of employees during working hours, according to a survey released in January. Such actions have motivated digital rights defense groups to push for greater regulation of the technology, including in Brazil.
The Consumer Defense Institute (Idec) has requested investigations into possible abuses resulting from unauthorized filming using the company's devices. The Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta Vanguard, and Meta Glasses lines were officially launched in Brazil.
Despite warnings of bans in certain markets, such as Europe, manufacturers have not shown much apprehension. Besides Meta, which redirected its virtual reality investments to wearable AI, Samsung also presented its future smart glasses. The South Korean devices will integrate Google's Android XR system and are expected to incorporate key security considerations from initial development.
This security fix accompanies a marketing effort by Meta to improve public perception of its devices. A company spokesperson informed The Verge that billboards are being installed in high-selling locations for the glasses, referencing the security system. One such advertisement, seen in Los Angeles, United States, states that the camera allows capturing the moment, and the light ensures that everyone around is aware of it.