Meta Fixes Smart Glasses Privacy Flaw: Blocked Recording Light Stops Camera
Meta is patching a privacy vulnerability in its AI-powered smart glasses that allowed users to covertly record others by covering the LED indicator after starting a recording. The update will automatically halt the camera if the light is blocked during recording. The fix follows a similar update last month and comes amid broader privacy concerns and public awareness efforts.
Meta is addressing a privacy flaw in its AI-enabled smart glasses that previously let users cover the LED recording indicator on the frame after starting a recording, enabling them to secretly film others. Alex Himel, Meta's vice president of augmented reality business, said that after the update, the camera will immediately stop working if the system detects that the indicator light is blocked during a recording.
These smart glasses were designed with a protective mechanism: the LED light flashes to alert people nearby when recording video or taking photos, and the built-in camera should also be disabled if the indicator is covered. However, some users discovered that the restriction could be bypassed by covering the light only after the recording had begun.
The fix comes just over a month after Meta's previous update, which disabled the camera in response to physical tampering with the indicator light. Himel said Meta will continue to roll out similar updates to ensure the LED light reliably signals to bystanders that a photo or video is being captured.
Meta's smart glasses have been involved in several privacy-related incidents in recent years. Some wearers have been accused of recording others without consent, and some have posted "prank" content of strangers on social media. Alongside strengthening technical restrictions, Meta is also working to improve public awareness. Albert Aydin, a Meta spokesperson, said the company will run awareness campaigns in communities where smart glasses sales are high, aiming to increase understanding of the LED indicator's role in signaling recording activity.