Meta disables camera if smart glasses privacy LED is tampered
What's the story
Meta has announced a new update for its smart glasses, which will disable the camera if it detects that someone has tampered with or destroyed the privacy LED light. The move comes in response to modders who have been known to physically drill into this LED light. The company had previously attempted to discourage such tampering by blocking the light with tape or other objects, but many modders found workarounds for that particular measure.
Acknowledgment
Update comes amid online criticism
Alex Himel, Meta's VP of wearables, had acknowledged a few weeks ago that the company was aware of the rising misuse of its smart glasses. This admission came after the launch of cheaper Meta Glasses without Ray-Ban branding. The privacy-focused update also comes amid online criticism over reported plans to add facial recognition technology to these devices and incidents involving bad actors harassing young women with them.
Ban
Some public venues are considering banning smart glasses
The update comes as some public venues are considering banning smart glasses over privacy concerns. Syracuse.com has reported that New York State will start banning camera glasses from all courtrooms later this month. This follows similar actions by Philadelphia courts and cruise lines restricting the use of these devices in common areas.
Combatting services
Meta is also working to remove ads, posts, marketplace listings
Meta has also said that it is working to "remove ads, posts, and Marketplace listings" for services that alter smart glasses to disable the LED. The company is considering legal action against these individuals and/or businesses. The update is currently being rolled out and is mandatory for all users of Meta's smart glasses.