Smart glasses: A clear risk to women’s safety

Meta is selling its smart glasses as the instant answer to everything, but the reality is more like an episode of Black Mirror. For women on the other side of the lens, the way Meta’s glasses combine a database and a camera make them into an invasive, high-tech surveillance nightmare.

When you record video with a smartphone, you have to hold it up – a clear signal that you’re taking footage. But smart glasses – or as critics call them “pervert glasses” – are designed to be inconspicuous, ready to record at a moment’s notice.

Meta say the LED which lights up whenever someone takes pictures or video “makes it clear to others that the device is recording”. But – as a series of videos that went viral on TikTok explain – you can cover it up with a piece of tape or a sticker, sold online as an added privacy feature that allows you to discreetly record.

Earlier this year, a BBC investigation found hundreds of videos recorded without consent by dozens of influencers using smart glasses. Men have been filming women secretly in gyms, on beaches and on public transport, and racking up millions of views online.

And this indifference to consent is baked into the way Meta trains its AI. In March, an investigation from two Swedish newspapers revealed that contractors in Kenya, who review footage to improve the smart glasses “experience”, were watching people in bedrooms, on the toilet or having sex. “We see everything – from living rooms to naked bodies,” one worker told Svenska Dagbladet and Goteborgs-Posten. Meta’s response? Cancel the contract with their Kenyan partner and carry on.

But in February the New York Times revealed that Meta is working on a new feature that is even more terrifying. Name Tag would allow wearers to identify people and find information about them from a massive AI-powered database. This isn’t just about privacy – it’s about safety. Imagine a stranger sitting across from you on a train. Through their glasses, they could see your name, your social media, your mutual friends and where you work, go to school or hang out.

This technology essentially eliminates the possibility of being a stranger in a crowd. It turns every public space into a searchable database where your identity is a click away for anyone with £300 to spend on some frames. For survivors of domestic violence or women dealing with stalkers, that’s a constant threat.

Technology should empower us, not put us in danger. Meta’s glasses are supposed to make life easier for the wearer, but they strip away a right to anonymity for the rest of us, putting us all at risk. We can’t let tech giants make money from turning a shiny gadget into a surveillance weapon.