Summary

  • Meta's AI smart glasses have sparked privacy concerns throughout 2026.
  • Critics argue these devices can record individuals and gather personal data without their consent.
  • The controversy has resulted in lawsuits, government probes, and increasing public disapproval.

Meta is in the process of creating AI-enhanced smart glasses aimed at substituting smartphones. However, these gadgets have been dubbed "pervert glasses" by critics, and for good reason.

Despite Meta's claims of implementing privacy safeguards, detractors continue to raise alarms regarding the potential misuse of the glasses and the handling of the data collected.

The backlash against the AI glasses is so severe that many users feel uncomfortable wearing them in public.

Some have taken to calling them "pervert glasses" pic.twitter.com/L1wAFveCdE

— Interesting AF (@interesting_aIl) July 30, 2026

Here's a closer look at how Meta's AI glasses earned the nickname "pervert glasses."

A January BBC report revealed that women were surreptitiously filmed using Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses after being approached in public spaces. These videos were subsequently shared on TikTok without consent, garnering hundreds of thousands of views and comments. The investigation also uncovered an account responsible for posting over 100 similar videos.

In February, a collaborative investigation by Swedish media discovered that contractors in Nairobi, hired to train Meta's AI, reviewed footage from the smart glasses that included individuals in compromising situations, raising significant concerns about how this content is shared with Meta’s AI.

The situation escalated in March when Meta was hit with a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company failed to adequately inform users that human contractors could access shared content. Later that month, Democratic senators Edward Markey, Jeff Merkley, and Ron Wyden pressed the company for clarification on its facial recognition initiatives, cautioning that such technology could lead to real-time identification and harassment.