Meta sued over AI smart glasses’ privacy concerns, after workers reviewed nudity, sex, and other footage

Meta is under scrutiny as it battles a new lawsuit concerning privacy issues associated with its AI smart glasses. This legal challenge follows an investigation by Swedish newspapers, which uncovered that employees at a subcontractor in Kenya were reviewing footage captured by users of these glasses. Disturbingly, the footage included sensitive material such as nudity and intimate moments. While Meta has claimed that it implements measures to blur faces in the reviewed images, some sources have contested the effectiveness of these efforts. The situation has prompted the U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office to launch its own investigation into the matter. In the U.S., the lawsuit has been initiated by plaintiffs Gina Bartone from New Jersey and Mateo Canu from California, represented by the Clarkson Law Firm, known for taking on major tech companies. They assert that Meta has breached privacy laws and engaged in misleading advertising. The complaint highlights that the marketing for the Meta AI smart glasses included phrases like "designed for privacy, controlled by you," which misled customers about the privacy of their captured footage. The plaintiffs argue that they were unaware that their recorded moments, including intimate scenarios, could be viewed by external workers. They allege that there were no disclaimers indicating that such oversight could occur, contradicting the advertised privacy assurances. The lawsuit also targets Meta's manufacturing partner, Luxottica of America, for violating consumer protection laws. In 2025, over seven million units of the smart glasses were sold, raising concerns about the data being reviewed and the inability of users to opt-out. Meta has stated that when users share content with its AI, contractors are utilized to enhance the user experience, a process outlined in its privacy policy. However, critics note that mentions of human data review are primarily found in Meta’s U.K. terms of service, while their U.S. policy acknowledges that interactions with AIs may be reviewed both automatically and manually. The marketing of the glasses prominently featured claims of robust privacy settings, including ads that assured users they had control over their data. Yet the rise of such "luxury surveillance" technology has sparked significant public backlash, leading to the development of apps that can detect nearby smart glasses. As the lawsuit unfolds, Meta has refrained from commenting on the specific litigation but did emphasize its commitment to user privacy and data protection in an official statement. The situation continues to evolve as more details emerge regarding the implications of smart glasses and the ethical considerations surrounding their use.