Meta faces lawsuit over AI glasses privacy scandal
What's the story
Meta has been hit with a lawsuit in the US over its AI-enabled smart glasses, amid privacy concerns. The legal action was initiated by Gina Bartone from New Jersey and Mateo Canu from California. They are represented by the Clarkson Law Firm. The plaintiffs allege that Meta breached consumer protection laws and engaged in false advertising by exaggerating the privacy protections of its smart glasses.
Footage scrutiny
Lawsuit follows reports of sensitive footage being reviewed
The lawsuit follows Swedish media reports that employees at a Kenya-based subcontractor reviewed footage collected from Meta's smart glasses. Some of this footage reportedly contained highly sensitive content such as nudity and sexual activity. Although Meta claimed that faces in these images were blurred, sources cited in the reports said the blurring technology didn't work consistently.
Regulatory scrutiny
UK's privacy watchdog launches investigation into Meta
The revelations have also drawn the attention of the UK's privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner's Office. The body has launched an investigation into Meta's practices with its smart glasses. The US lawsuit heavily focuses on how these devices were marketed by Meta. The plaintiffs argue that phrases like "designed for privacy, controlled by you" and "built for your privacy" gave users a false sense of security about their footage remaining private.
Lack of transparency
Plaintiffs claim they were unaware of potential reviews
The plaintiffs also claim they were unaware that their footage could be reviewed by overseas contractors. They say there was no clear disclaimer contradicting the privacy messaging in advertisements. The case also names Luxottica of America, Meta's glasses manufacturing partner, accusing both companies of conduct that allegedly violates consumer protection laws.
Scale of issue
Meta responds to allegations, says user data is protected
The complaint highlights the scale of the issue, noting that more than seven million people bought Meta's smart glasses in 2025. It alleges that footage captured by these devices goes into a data pipeline for review and users can't opt out. In response to these allegations, Meta has said when users share content with its AI services, it sometimes uses contractors to review this data for improving user experience.