FASHION STATEMENT OR MASS SURVEILLANCE: CRITIQUE OF THE RAY-BAN META GLASSES

Emerging technology on the market has become a fashion statement in the modern era. A recent trend observed is the rise of camera-embedded eyewear such as the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses. From the backlash against Google for violating individual privacy to the acceptance of Meta glasses as part of a technological revolution, there has been a stark shift in public perception of hands-free recording devices. Some praise the glasses for promoting accessibility, whereas critics scrutinize them for violating privacy. The glasses claim to be designed to promote privacy, multiple instances have been recorded of users being unaware of being recorded. Furthermore, Meta claims that footage recorded through the glasses will be reviewed and used solely to train AI; multiple reports have found that the footage is human-reviewed by third-party subcontractors, which has raised concerns regarding transparency of the footage review. While it is an integral aspect of evolving technology, it is crucial to understand all the risks it poses. The conversation around consent with respect to being filmed in public has increased due to threats of privacy breaches, increasing the risk of exploitation. This article explores the dangers of Meta glasses to individual and digital privacy and whether these glasses are merely a fashion statement or tools for surveillance.