Overview
- Instagram announced a ban on videos that exploit or harass people filmed with smart glasses and has deactivated major prankster and pickup-artist accounts under the policy.
- Meta issued a firmware update that disables the camera if someone tampers with or covers the glasses' recording indicator light to prevent covert filming.
- Reporters have found dormant code for a facial‑recognition feature called NameTag in recent software updates, but Meta says the feature is not active and no decision has been made about rolling it out.
- Public and cultural backlash has intensified, including a London bus‑stop ad altered by activists to read “We’re always watching you,” celebrity denunciations, and venue and courthouse limits on the devices, even as millions of pairs have been sold.
- The combined enforcement, technical fixes, and public protest raise legal and regulatory questions about bystander consent, always‑on prototype designs, and whether further limits or rules will follow.