Overview
- The NYPD's counterterrorism division advised officers to scrutinize all eyewear allowed in inmate cells.
- Maine's fusion center cautioned that smart glasses with facial recognition could potentially expose officers' identities.
- ICE has prohibited its personnel from wearing these glasses in federal environments.
According to a series of memos obtained through freedom of information requests, police departments across the United States are alerting one another about the potential misuse of Meta's camera-equipped glasses for recording activities within jails and police stations, as reported by the Guardian.
The first memo, issued by the New York Police Department's counterterrorism bureau in January, labeled Ray-Ban Meta glasses as a "security and counterintelligence" concern. It instructed officers to examine all eyewear brought into inmate cells, warning that covert recordings could reveal details such as "cell layouts, camera positions, or officer patrol patterns."
This warning referenced two videos, including one posted on TikTok in July 2025, which featured footage from a South Carolina detention center under federal scrutiny for poor conditions. The video showed various areas of the facility, with detainees seemingly unaware they were being filmed. The individual wearing the glasses remarked, "Everyone here is trying to figure out what's going on with my glasses, why my light is blinking. People don't know about Meta glasses."
Reverse Surveillance Concerns
The documents were acquired by Property of the People, a nonprofit focused on transparency, whose executive director, Ryan Shapiro, criticized the agencies' stance. He stated, "These agencies surveil the public incessantly, but the moment we can watch them back, it's deemed a security threat. When only the government is allowed to hold the camera, that's not security. It's impunity."
Similar advisories have been issued by the Department of Homeland Security's joint counterterrorism assessment team and various fusion centers in New York, Maine, Virginia, Tennessee, and San Diego. One memo from Maine, distributed in June, highlighted that certain glasses could utilize AI software, including facial recognition, posing a risk of doxing officers.
Federal agencies are now regulating the use of these glasses among their own staff. In August, Immigration and Customs Enforcement informed its personnel that smart glasses are classified as body-worn cameras and therefore cannot be used within federal workspaces, as they might inadvertently capture sensitive information.
In response to the concerns, Meta stated that the glasses are intended to be noticeable, pointing to a blinking light that activates during recording. This feature is the primary distinction between the Meta glasses and standard Ray-Bans, although the South Carolina footage indicates it may not always be effective.
The company has encountered similar criticisms throughout the year regarding covert filming of women, contractors analyzing private footage, and plans to introduce facial recognition capabilities.