In 2023, Meta caused a stir when it launched its AI-powered smart glasses in collaboration with the sunglasses brand Ray-Ban.
There have been multiple reports of the devices being used to harass women and girls—filming them without consent and subsequently sharing the footage.
Although Meta enlisted Kylie Jenner—Kim Kardashian’s younger sister—as the face of the product this summer, the move does not appear to have resolved the brand’s image issues. The glasses have been labeled “creepy” or “perverted.” In the UK, bans on the eyewear have been implemented by JD Wetherspoon pubs, several major theaters, San Diego Comic-Con, various schools, and the Faslane nuclear submarine base.
On Thursday, Meta is set to release a new version called “Ray-Ban Meta Audio,” which features no camera whatsoever. While it retains the original model’s audio capabilities—such as making calls and playing music directly into the wearer’s ears—it poses fewer privacy concerns.
Industry observers view this as an interesting shift—possibly a response to the backlash sparked by privacy issues.
The tech giant denied that the new glasses were rushed out in response to public backlash, stating that the product had been in development for two years. The audio-only version is cheaper than the model equipped with a camera; Meta says the frames are lighter and offer longer battery life.
When I suggested to Ankit Brahmbhatt, the product lead for Meta Glasses, that this version might outsell the original camera-equipped model, he fell silent for a moment.