Meta Platforms is expected to unveil new smart glasses at its annual Connect conference on Wednesday, including camera-free models, as privacy concerns grow over the use of AI-enabled devices to record people without their consent.
The social media company has emerged as an early leader in the AI smart-glasses market, with sales of the glasses it developed with EssilorLuxottica reportedly surpassing seven million last year.
The devices have also faced growing scrutiny over privacy, with several UK restaurants, pubs and cinemas restricting their use because of concerns about covert recording and piracy.
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Meta is expected to introduce camera-free glasses in two styles, Clubmaster and Burbank, according to The Information.
The company is also expected to unveil a new version of its camera-equipped Meta Ray-Ban glasses, as well as a thinner and lighter pair of augmented-reality glasses reportedly codenamed Phoenix.
The potential launch comes shortly after Snap unveiled details of its $2,195 Specs augmented-reality glasses, which are expected to launch later this year.
However, analysts have questioned whether removing cameras would fully address privacy concerns, noting that the glasses can still record audio.
“Microphones and audio collection could trigger similar concerns, although likely to a lesser degree,” said Linda Sui, founder of market research firm Smart Analytics Global.
She also said removing cameras from glasses without a heads-up display could make it harder for consumers to distinguish them from Bluetooth earbuds, particularly if their main functions are voice interaction, microphones and speakers.
Meta’s smart glasses have also faced legal challenges, including a proposed class action in California alleging that the company misled users about privacy protections and that human annotators training its AI viewed and labelled footage recorded by users.
