A decade after Google’s “Glassholes” culture faded, Meta is betting that we’ve finally made peace with being filmed by our own faces. However, they may be wrong. “These glasses should be f***** banned,” say some Redditors.
A decade ago, a weird new word entered the lexicon of Silicon Valley. Google Glass smart glasses were out, and society started snidely referring to individuals who used them as “Glassholes.”
Google Glass promised a lot. Voice-activated commands, a camera that can make photos and videos, and a display that shows information or real-time translations straight into our eyeballs. The boom was big, but so was the pushback.
While Google halted consumer sales of its smart glasses in January 2015, Meta is attempting to revive the technology.
With the launch of the first generation of Meta’s Ray Ban in 2021, and the third generation coming out just this September, we can confidently say that smart glasses are once again back in the game. For nearly $400, Meta smart glasses offer a 12MP HD camera, voice-activated commands, and, of course, AI integrations.
However, even after a decade, the core privacy question remains unchanged. Yes, we can build cameras for our faces, but can we stand them?
“The genie’s already out of the lamp. Buckle up,” joked Reddit users, during a heated discussion about whether this piece of hardware is a serious threat to our safety and privacy.
“No I do not consent to being filmed or my kids being recorded by oddballs wearing spy camera glasses,” raged one user.
“This is a green light for voyeurism and perverts.”
“These glasses should be f****** banned,” burst another.
For some, the cultural verdict on face‑mounted cameras was rendered a decade ago.
“I seem to remember this was a big factor in the Google Glass project being shelved over a decade ago. I was surprised to see it resurface again,” one commenter wrote.
Others are far less radical, arguing that the technology is not new, nor is it the first time we have been filmed in public. So, how is it in reality? Should we be worried, or just accept that nothing is private anymore, and Meta’s glasses won’t contribute much to it?
Can you be filmed in public spaces?
The main issue with Meta’s attempt to gain market share in the smart eyewear market is privacy. Once a camera is built into a pair of glasses, what those glasses are going to film becomes a question of ethics.
Commenters stress a blunt reality of many jurisdictions: “As long as you are in a public place, you don’t have the presumption of privacy, and you can legally be filmed.” On the other hand, they remind us that what is regulated is how you use the filmed data.
Another adds, “GDPR regulations don’t really apply the way you think they do… Functionally, the glasses are no different from someone walking around recording with their phone.”
For some, the smart glasses technology doesn’t seem to be a big problem.
“I understand the concern, but I feel like there are waaaay bigger fish to fry than Meta’s stupid glasses that not many people are going to fork the money over for.”
Others stress that we already have the technology that can exploit our privacy.
“Voyeurists and perverts can easily record you in hundreds of ways without you ever seeing the camera or knowing you are being recorded.”
“The market for ‘spy devices’ is HUGE and has been for decades. Meanwhile, you are complaining about a device that you can easily see and identify,” they add.
Some people push back, noting that rules vary and that how footage is used can trigger different legal regimes.
“In some countries, people are not allowed to record or even take photos of people. So there are going to be a lot of issues as these big companies – and Meta is only the first – start selling this type of product,” said one concerned Redditor.
Another important point that many discuss is how our privacy could be impacted even more than it already is. With numerous CCTV cameras around, no one should expect to remain private while out on the street.
“Any time you are in public, you should assume you are being audio and video recorded by at least two random strangers,”
pointed out one user.
“You should probably stay home,” ironically responded another.
However, not everyone agrees.
“I am so tired of this 'there are already cameras everywhere’ argument. I don't want one up close in my face on the street. I don't want one with a perfect viewing angle down my shirt on a crowded subway train. I don't want one behind me on a plane recording the activities on my laptop.”
The tech is not that good for us to worry about privacy
Some people are not so critical. Experienced users say these glasses are far from long‑range spy tools.
“The camera is ultra-wide angle, beyond maybe 5-10 feet, pictures of people lack detail,” a user, introducing themselves as a photographer, noted.
“If you are close enough for a decent picture or video, you are close enough to see the flashing record indicator,” they added.
Several commenters also point out that Meta relies on major cloud providers and has incentives to keep file sizes lean for AI analysis.
“For any camera system that ties itself to artificial intelligence, realistically long‑range hi‑res photos are going to be quite impractical,” one wrote.
Practical fears surfaced, too. While the glasses are worn in public, they might be an easy target for muggers. What if glasses are stolen? Does the data go together with the hardware?
Reddit users don't seem particularly concerned about this scenario, highlighting that the glasses themselves store little, and a thief would likely need your phone to access anything.
“Someone stealing these would get something that can only take photos or videos… [and] would have no way to retrieve any of those photos or videos… because a factory reset would have to occur to pair to a new device.”
Some advocate public shaming as a way to fight unwanted surveillance.
“If you see someone wearing them: ‘ARE THOSE THE SMART GLASSES THAT RECORD EVERYTHING…!?’ As loud as you can.” The idea is to make surveillance socially costly.
Here the design choices of big tech corporations are extremely important, such as mandatory record lights, to ensure transparency during filming.
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