Meta Floods Market with Affordable AI Smart Glasses Amid Privacy Concerns

Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, is aggressively expanding its AI-powered smart glasses lineup, positioning them as the next major internet platform. These wearable devices can record almost everything the user sees and hears, and Meta is pushing to make them mainstream by releasing multiple models at accessible prices, partnering with celebrities, and donating over 100,000 pairs to visually impaired military veterans. The product range includes Ray-Ban Meta glasses at around $379, Oakley sports glasses with fitness tracking at about $499, cheaper versions at $299, and a premium model with a built-in screen priced near $800. Over the past year, Meta sold approximately 7 million smart glasses, tripling sales from the previous year and dominating the global market. Zuckerberg compared this shift to the transition from flip phones to smartphones and anticipates that ordinary glasses will soon be replaced by smart versions. The devices are produced in collaboration with eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica, aiming to lead the post-smartphone era.

However, the commercial success has sparked significant privacy backlash. Civil rights and privacy advocates warn about the risks of people being recorded without consent. Users have reported being filmed unknowingly, and some devices allegedly had their recording indicator lights disabled, an issue Meta claims to have fixed via software updates. Various U.S. institutions, including New York courts, have banned the glasses on their premises. Two particularly controversial features under development have drawn criticism: one that would recognize and remember faces to remind users of identities in future encounters, prompting over 70 privacy organizations to demand Meta halt the project and publicly abandon it; and another that would allow continuous audio and video recording without the usual white indicator light. Meta states these features are not yet consumer-ready and that data would be encrypted locally on the device.

Additionally, Meta filed a patent for technology that would monitor users' moods throughout the day to create personalized training programs, though the company clarifies that patent filings do not guarantee active development. Meta emphasizes its commitment to responsibly managing privacy for both users and those around them. As Meta pushes forward with its ambitious vision for smart glasses to accompany users constantly, the debate over privacy boundaries in this emerging technology is intensifying. Investors are closely watching Meta's hardware gamble as the battle over privacy in the smart glasses era unfolds.