Meta broke down Its Smart Glasses AI Privacy Policies to ...

What’s Happening

Real talk: If Meta and other smart eyewear makers dont want their products known as “pervert glasses,” theyre going to have to do better at setting boundaries.

I wear Meta s Ray-Bans off and on when I travel to sns, take phone calls and listen to music. The technology is fascinating, fun and convenient. (it feels like chaos)

I also knew that Meta s privacy policies might be a concern, but now I m more worried about it than ever before.

The Details

My concerns ramped up after a number of friends and colleagues d a report about Meta s third-party contractors in Kenya being able to view sensitive information like photos of banking records, nudity and sexual encounters that had been recorded on Meta glasses (which has resulted in a class action lawsuit ). What boundaries had Meta set up to protect people s privacy?

I pored over Meta s online and in the Meta AI app, but that was no help. So I contacted Meta s comms team to get clarity.

Why This Matters

But even after getting the official answer from Meta about where the lines are drawn, I m still frustrated and uncertain. While many people are rightly worried about someone secretly recording them with smart glasses , there s also another wrinkle: When are these glasses potentially sharing what you ve been recording with others? Here s a short answer: Do Meta s glasses have third-party contractors potentially looking over your data?

This could have major implications for how we use technology going forward.

Key Takeaways

• Yes, sometimes — if you re using AI services.
• If you re not using those AI services, then according to Meta, you should be OK.
• But even then, I don t know where that “AI services” wall gets clearly drawn.
• And that s one of my biggest concerns.

The Bottom Line

Those issues haven t come up with Meta s VR headsets , which don t have many data-collecting AI services, but the company s smart glasses do. And those services will keep growing and becoming more capable over the next few years.

Thoughts? Drop them below.