Bug in Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses lets them record audio without wearer's knowledge

A software bug discovered this week in Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which are made by US tech company Meta and have built-in cameras and microphones, can cause them to record audio inadvertently, even when the light meant to signal recording is lit. The finding adds to the privacy debate, since Meta has previously tried to ease concerns by pointing to exactly that indicator.

Meta issued a brief statement, but Ars Technica says it does little to calm the worries.

Earlier reports

Earlier this year, Swedish journalists interviewed more than 30 workers at Sama, a data annotation company headquartered in Kenya. The workers said they had viewed footage shot with Ray-Ban Metas, seemingly without the wearer or the people filmed being aware of it. The material included private scenes, such as a glasses owner's partner coming out of a bathroom naked. One anonymous Sama employee said people can record themselves in the wrong way and not even know what they are recording.

In the US, the reports led to a lawsuit seeking class action certification and to an investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. In August, Meta updated the glasses so they will not record if the indicator light is covered.

Wider concerns

The privacy issues are linked to fears of being secretly recorded in public and to the development of apps that detect smart glasses. Legislation has been proposed, and Norway is considering a temporary ban. According to the outlet, the bug shows that well-meaning users, not only bad actors, can end up recording others unintentionally.