Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses have come under scrutiny following reports that private recordings and personal moments may have been exposed. Experts are urging users to review privacy settings and device permissions to protect their data.
Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses are under the spotlight after an investigation by Swedish media outlets revealed that the user data, such as private videos recorded using them, may not remain ‘private’.
The investigation found that a Kenya-based Meta subcontractor had access to intimate and disturbing videos taken by glasses wearers. This includes explicit content and even personal information like bank account details.
The publication revealed that many of the videos were used for data labeling, which is a method to train AI models. It further confirmed that the users weren't aware about recorded material.
Pavan Karthick M, a Threat Researcher at Bengaluru-based cybersecurity firm CloudSEK, said: “Especially for things like these, Ray-Ban glasses, there is much more data that goes into that, because you're wearing it all the time. It can hear what you speak, and it can also see what you see. They try to collect as much data from you as possible in terms of usage statistics and how the device is working.”
The revelations have sent shockwaves across users and regulators regarding data privacy.
Karthick urged users to opt out of cloud storage. “Users have an option to disable cloud processing and restrict data sharing by opting out. While cloud processing saves you storage, it also gives Meta the opportunity to use the data for training purposes. This could be anything, like intimate videos, all public videos that aren't supposed to be captured by Ray-Ban or Meta, to which some contractor in Nairobi could also gain access,” he said.
While Meta Ray-Ban glasses may not record videos accidentally, they are still listening to what you say the whole time.
These are the safe practices for Meta Ray-Ban glass users:
Disable unnecessary data sharing and voice storage right away
Think twice before capturing anything
Delete old recordings manually
Opt out of AI training feeds
Also Read: Zuckerberg’s Meta Ray-Ban Glasses Fail During Live Demo: Was Wi-Fi Really to Blame?
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has a long history of not being upfront about how and what data they collect about users and how it is used.
Prashant Mali, a Cyber and Privacy lawyer at Bombay High Court, pointed out that Meta’s privacy policies have several loopholes.
“Meta’s privacy policies fall woefully short of providing robust safeguards for user data, as they are permeated with loopholes that favor the company’s AI ambitions over genuine protection,” Mali said.
According to the researchers, it is up to the user to be vigilant about what they record and share using the Meta Ray-Ban glasses.