Meta's Privacy Riddle: Where Do Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Videos Go?

Meta has been under the microscope after releasing Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Rumors have been circling that video data captured by the smart glasses will be used to train AI models.

How Users Interact with the AI

The glasses sport enhanced video abilities allowing users to interact with Meta AI about their surroundings. The users will interact live via the glasses by deploying the "Hey Meta" command.

For example, a user might ask the AI details for about the historical site they are visiting while sightseeing. The consumers can ask questions about clothing choices, or even on what to cook based on the ingredients available.

However, this particular functionality requires constant video capture. Ergo, questions arise regarding privacy as well as data use.

Meta’s Response

On questions about the storage and usage of data, a Meta spokesperson vaguely stated, "We're not saying either way." The vagueness is alarming since personal content and sensitive details are being captured by these glasses.

When asked whether Meta trained AI models on public data from its platforms, the company said a clear ‘yes’. However, Meta has said nothing about the similar practice surrounding the data from the smart glasses.

The cloud of uncertainty about the data practice by Meta is coming at a time when its practices are facing increasing regulatory scrutiny. EU recently fined Meta EUR 91 million ($101.5 million) for saving user passwords as plaintext. This left sensitive user data exposed to cyberattacks. Read more

Ray-Ban smart glasses users are holding their breath for an appropriate response from Meta on data privacy concern issues.