Meta remotely disabled the cameras in 0.1% of the smart glasses that were sold. The company informed Tecnoblog that this action was necessary after identifying devices that had been modified by users.
These modifications aimed to prevent the indicator LED, which signals when the camera is recording or taking photos, from being activated. Meta told Tecnoblog: 'We estimate that less than 0.1% of the units sold had the camera tampered with to try to disable the LED light, and we have turned off these cameras.' However, the company did not detail the method used to detect such alterations.
This percentage corresponds to about 7 thousand affected devices, based on approximately 7 million units sold by EssilorLuxottica until the end of 2025. Previously, Meta had introduced a native feature that automatically turns off the camera if the LED is covered.
The LED functions as an essential mechanism to alert nearby people about recording. Despite this, some individuals try to bypass this functionality. On social media, videos have proliferated where people use smart glasses to interact with strangers, play pranks, or record embarrassing situations without the consent of the parties involved.
A significant portion of first-person videos circulating online are made with Meta's smart glasses. In Brazil, Meta offers the Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta smart glasses lines, which integrate cameras, speakers, microphones, and artificial intelligence features, starting from R$ 3,299. The Oakley Meta HSTN model was launched in the Brazilian market with a suggested price of R$ 3,459. Furthermore, the third generation of Meta Glasses has already been approved for sale in the country, although there is no confirmed launch date yet.
Regulators in various nations are seeking ways to manage this technology. In Brazil, the Consumer Defense Institute (Idec) requested an investigation from the Federal Public Ministry regarding the risks presented by these devices. In Norway, authorities are analyzing the possibility of restricting or even banning smart glasses with cameras due to privacy concerns. Digitalization Minister Karianne Tung emphasized the need to prevent such equipment from being used to monitor third parties in public spaces.