California doctor wears Meta glasses to a boob lift consultation

A TikToker called out a doctor who turned up to a post-op boob lift consultation wearing Meta glasses.

TikToker “TaylorsDiary” recounted her experience at a doctor's office where she questioned the consultant about why he was wearing Meta glasses capable of filming video and recording audio while with a patient who was expected to undress.

While the creator wasn’t the one receiving the consultation, she accompanied a friend to a medical facility in California following what sounds like a cosmetic procedure.

The TikToker said that she “accompanied someone to their post-op boob lift appointment” when she noticed the doctor was wearing what appeared to be Meta glasses.

She later confirmed that they were Meta glasses because she could “see the light reflect off the lens of the camera.”

Before the doctor leaves, he asks whether they have any questions, to which the creator asks, “Are those Meta glasses?”

He replies, “Yeah, but they’re not recording,” according to the TikTok user.

The concern here is that this medical professional is interacting with patients (primarily women, the creator assumes) who are looking to receive boob lifts and tummy tucks, which, in most cases, requires the patient to “strip down.”

Viral reaction video sparks outrage

The TikTok soon went viral, garnering 1.5 million views on TikTok and 15,000 votes on Reddit.

Many commenters were appalled by the medical professional’s disregard for patient privacy and confidentiality, which their Hippocratic Oath requires.

This goes for plastic surgeons, too, who attend general medical studies before specializing in plastic surgery. But this surgery is mostly elective, so it may be subject to different standards.

Users across the board agreed that the doctor needed to be reported, which the original poster did in a later update video, and that Meta glasses are creepy by default and should be banned in sensitive spaces.

Why would a doctor need to wear Meta glasses?

While telling the story, the TikToker asserts that the doctor provided insufficient information about why he was wearing Meta glasses.

The original poster claims that the doctor’s reasons were that his Meta glasses read his text messages to him while he wears them and that he doesn’t check his messages on his Apple Watch because he likes to maintain eye contact with his clients.

The TikToker pushed the doctor, asking whether he had to disclose that he was wearing Meta glasses to his client, to which he allegedly replied, “No,” because he wasn't filming anyone.

There are multiple reasons why a doctor could be wearing Meta glasses without it being a HIPAA violation.

Meta glasses can be ordered with pre-fit prescription lenses, making them practical rather than just a pair of “pervert glasses.”

Furthermore, Meta claims that its glasses can display notifications, transcribe notes, set reminders, or summarize text, which are things a doctor would likely need to do.

From the video, the doctor doesn’t seem to go into detail, which makes the user suspicious.

The TikToker follows up by saying that the doctor could’ve easily disabled the safeguards in Meta glasses that allow the wearer to go “incognito mode.”

Can Meta glasses go “incognito mode”

Following backlash and controversy over its AI-powered eyewear, Meta has implemented safeguards that prevent anyone from tampering with safety features.

Previously, users were reportedly drilling into the LED capture light located in the top-right corner of the frame, making it easy to film people in secret.

The tiny circular white light, barely 2 millimeters in diameter, blinks to alert those nearby when the wearer is taking photos or recording videos with the device's hands-free camera.

Technology journalist Joanna Stern had her Meta glasses modified, paying $100 to have them altered using a dental drill.

These incidents forced Meta to change its policies, implementing safeguards that would shut off the glasses’ recording capabilities if the LED light was covered or damaged.

However, leaked documents revealed that Meta’s next-generation AI glasses are allegedly being developed without the LED safety light.

At the time of writing, there have been no reports of users hacking or modifying Meta glasses without physically altering the product.

Cybernews has reached out to Meta for comment.

Why people hate “pervert glasses”

Meta has received a tidal wave of hate for its privacy-violating eyewear.

The main concerns surrounding the tech are that people are recording in public and intimate spaces without consent and subsequently uploading the footage to the internet for millions to see.

Many instances involve women being filmed without their knowledge, as content creators film “Rizzcam” content showing them approaching women in an attempt to pick them up.

Furthermore, a report from WIRED revealed that a complete facial recognition pipeline is present in the companion app Stella, which is required when using Meta glasses.

While there are some positive use cases for recording in public, as journalists have reportedly used them to covertly record ICE raids and protests, many people automatically assume anyone wearing them is a creep.

Many users have ditched Meta glasses over fears of being called a pervert.

Following the outrage, many spaces, including bars, pubs, and clubs in the UK, have banned Meta glasses from their locations.

The world’s biggest hacker convention, DEF CON, also banned Meta glasses to uphold its privacy-first policy.

On a larger scale, European Union countries are currently investigating whether a total ban on Meta glasses is possible, as privacy watchdogs in Germany, France, and the Netherlands have cited concerns about the tech.