Meta adds camera shutoff for altered privacy lights on smart glasses
Meta says a software update will disable recording when its glasses detect tampering with the privacy LED.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Meta is adding a safeguard to its smart glasses that will turn off the camera when the device detects that its privacy indicator light has been altered or destroyed. The change targets efforts to defeat the visible recording signal on the glasses, an issue that has drawn more attention as camera-equipped eyewear becomes more common.
Meta announced the update in a company post about its AI glasses. The company said the feature is meant to respond to tampering with the privacy LED, the small light designed to show people nearby when the glasses are recording.
The Verge reported that some users and modders have tried to remove or disable that signal, including by physically drilling into the LED. Meta has already used software warnings on newer glasses to discourage less permanent interference: on second-generation models, covering the light with tape or another object can trigger a prompt telling the wearer to uncover it, according to The Verge.
That earlier approach has not ended the issue. The Verge cited online workarounds discussed by users, and 404 Media has reported on methods for disabling the LED light. Meta’s new update raises the consequence from a warning to disabling the camera when the glasses detect more serious interference.
Alex Himel, Meta’s vice president of wearables, told The Verge several weeks ago that a privacy-related update was coming after the company introduced lower-cost Meta Glasses without Ray-Ban branding. Himel also acknowledged to The Verge that Meta was aware of growing misuse as adoption of the devices increased.
Scrutiny beyond the LED
The update arrives as Meta faces broader criticism over how its smart glasses could be used in public. The Verge has reported on concerns tied to possible facial recognition features for the glasses, while CNN reported on cases involving bad actors using the devices to harass young women.
Those concerns have started to affect where camera glasses can be worn. Syracuse.com reported that New York State will begin barring camera glasses from all courtrooms later this month. NBC Philadelphia has reported that Philadelphia courts adopted a similar restriction on smart and AI eyeglasses, with violators potentially facing arrest.
Restrictions have also appeared outside courts. USA Today reported that some cruise lines have limited the use of smart glasses in shared areas, according to The Verge’s summary of the policy trend.
Meta’s privacy LED is meant to give bystanders a visible cue that recording may be underway. The new camera shutoff update is the company’s latest attempt to keep that cue from being bypassed, while public institutions weigh their own rules for devices that can record from a person’s face.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.