Meta rolls out an update to block covert recordings via its smart glasses while launching an ad campaign to remind users of the LED warning light. A response to criticism over their 'creepy glasses' nickname.
A trivial, yet effective flaw
Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses feature an LED that lights up whenever a video or photo is being recorded. Until now, it was enough to start recording and then cover the LED with a simple piece of tape to film discreetly. Meta had already blocked attempts to disable the LED before recording started, but this flaw persisted.
On August 28, 2026, Alex Himel, Meta’s vice president of augmented reality, announced on Threads the rollout of a fix: 'the camera will now stop working if the light is covered during a recording.' According to him, 'only a tiny minority of people try to bypass these protections, and the fact that they have to go to such lengths shows our efforts are working.'
A context under high tension
Meta’s smart glasses reputation is under fire. In Europe, regulators are examining privacy risks, and Germany is considering a ban following a complaint over violations of its strict data protection laws. The European Data Protection Board is set to publish a report this summer to regulate the use of these devices in the EU.
In the US, a class action lawsuit accuses Meta of false advertising. Plaintiffs argue that privacy promises are misleading: videos captured by the glasses are allegedly analyzed by human annotators in Kenya, without users or filmed individuals being informed. Among the cited examples, a video of a woman undressing, filmed without her knowledge by glasses placed on a bedside table, was reportedly sent abroad to train AI models.
A campaign to reassure
Alongside the update, Meta is launching an awareness campaign. In Los Angeles, a billboard shows a user of the glasses with the caption: 'The camera lets you capture the moment. The light lets everyone around you know when you do.' The message is clear: 'Designed for everyone. Not just for those who wear them.'
Meta is also removing ads and Marketplace listings offering LED deactivation services, with penalties for the accounts involved. A black market had emerged in the US, where providers offered to disable the LED protection for around $100 by drilling it out, destroying it, and then sealing the hole with UV-cured resin.
On its privacy-focused site, Meta states that if the LED is covered, altered, or destroyed, the camera is automatically disabled. The site also claims that 'you, and only you,' can see the photos and videos captured — an assertion contradicted by the revelations about human annotators.
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What this changes (and what it doesn’t)
- The camera stops if the LED is covered during a recording, closing a simple yet effective loophole.
- Meta is stepping up communication about the LED’s role, but risks of circumvention (hardware modifications, semi-transparent stickers) remain.
- European regulators and US plaintiffs are maintaining pressure, demanding greater transparency in data processing.
Meta is acting on two fronts: technical and communication. But questions about data collection and exploitation, as well as mass surveillance risks, remain unresolved. The battle for user and regulator trust is far from over.
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