Kylie Jenner’s latest collaboration with Meta is copping heat after she launched a pair of “smart glasses” that contain software which makes it easy to secretly record others.
The 28-year-old beauty mogul teamed up with the mega tech platform and eyewear specialist EssilorLuxottica to create a pair of sunnies containing an array of AI-powered features, including a built-in display and camera that can record and take photos of your surroundings while wearing.
The $US 299 frames also allow users to listen to open-ear audio, take calls, and interact with an AI assistant.
Meta – the parent company of multiple social media and communication platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – says its new glasses have strong privacy settings to protect users and a built-in light that comes on when in recording mode to alert others around you.
But the controversial technology has concerned a number of women and privacy advocates after a “creepy” trend emerged following the launch of the first Meta Ray-Ban AI glasses in 2024.
In the past two years, social media has lit up with videos of unsuspecting women being filmed, predominantly by men.
The clips show the women in a variety of concerning situations, such as relaxing at the beach or simply walking down the street, and are shared online as part of a viral trend that sees creeps and wannabe pick-up artists secretly filming women without their knowledge or consent.
And now, with the launch of Meta’s first own-brand, cheaper than ever smart glasses, there are fresh concerns.
“These meta glasses should be heavily regulated, ideally banned,” said one on social media.
“This is so important! It’s surveillance masked as lifestyle,” another claimed.
As one lamented: “This is absolutely insanity and a real danger to women.”
“This product will put a lot of women and children in danger in the near future,” mused someone else.
Privacy advocates warned against smart glasses in April after it emerged that Meta was considering the integration of facial recognition technology into the gadget, with potential plans for a rollout in “early 2026”.
This feature would enable the AI-powered glasses to identify individuals in real-time, providing wearers with information about people they look at, such as names or basic details.
As a result, more than 70 civil liberties and advocacy groups in the US urging Meta to reconsider, stating that if the new feature is rolled out, the smart glasses could become outright dangerous.
“Facial recognition technology built into inconspicuous consumer eyewear represents a serious threat to privacy and civil liberties for every member of our society, and particularly for historically marginalised and vulnerable groups,” an open letter addressed to CEO Mark Zuckerberg reads.
“People should be able to move through their daily lives without fear. Our concerns reflect the fundamental danger of the technology itself.”
The call comes after a growing number of the Ray-Ban Meta AI-powered glasses fell into the hands of users with bad intentions, with the footage later shared online, often without the subject ever realising she was on camera.
Lauren Britt, from Tampa in Florida, exposed the “creepy” way women are being secretly filmed at the end of last year, leaving many horrified at just how easy it can be for a man to violate a woman’s privacy.
The young woman was caught off guard when she was sitting in an airport lounge waiting to board a flight to Boston, and was approached by a man she didn’t know, who proceeded to have a short conversation with her.
In this case, the interaction was so innocuous, it’s fair to say Ms Britt probably wouldn’t have thought about it ever again.
Except her brother spotted the video circulating on Instagram, and quickly alerted her to it, prompting a concerned Ms Britt to share the clip in a bid to raise awareness.
“Here I am, minding my business at the airport, and this guy starts to talk to me,” the 28-year-old explained in a video of her own.
“I didn’t know he was recording me… I had no idea he recorded the whole conversation with his glasses.”
Sadly, she’s far from alone in her experience.
A Sydney woman who was filmed by a US content creator with the same smart glasses, said she found it “violating and disgusting” when the interaction was posted to his 1.3 million Instagram followers last year.
“I was just strolling along, reading the news, but when I looked up, I saw that a man was about to approach me,” she told news.com.au at the time.
“He was trying to lock eyes so I took my earphones out and spoke to him and he shook my hand.
“I now remember that he fiddled with his sunglasses at the start of the chat, but I just thought he was adjusting them. Now I realise he was probably starting the recording because there were two dots on either side, but it was very subtle.”
The interactions vary from awkward to aggressive, with women visibly rejecting advances while still being recorded, earning the nickname “pervert glasses”, the New York Post reported.
An investigation by Swedish newspapers Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten found that footage captured on the devices includes people in highly vulnerable situations, such as using the bathroom, undressing and even having sex.
Meta’s glasses have “an LED light that activates whenever someone captures content, so it’s clear the device is recording”, but the Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten found the lights are easily covered by tape.
Internal safeguards meant to protect privacy don’t always work, the investigation concluded.
Posted by ThrowawayGreenWitch
32 Comments
Another day, another post chasing easy upvotes with “kardashian bad” content.
Who is actually buying these ? Are Americans that obsessed with celebrities ?
lol I mean Kylie’s never shown she cares about any one other than herself and fame
I live in a college town and we have a huge issue with men walking up to women on campus with these glasses and basically harassing them or asking them out as content for Instagram/YouTube pages.
Low expectations from this trash family when it comes to ethics and morals but Why isn’t this illegal?
She would literally endorse rohypnol if there were enough zeroes on the check.
It sucks my husband got the first round of meta glasses, the Ray Bans, so he could record memories with our daughter without waving a phone in her face. But they have become more and more concerning and now they sit in a drawer collecting dust. Tech can really do amazing things but there will always be people who take advantage and it’s a bummer for us normal sane individuals who saw it as a tool.
The funny thing is, sometimes I see something super beautiful (not people, like a sunset or something), often in passing, and wish I could blink my eyes to take a picture. So in theory I might be a target audience. But the opportunities for abuse are sooooo bad that I would much prefer to see them banned.
She didn’t invent them? Why not outrage towards mark? These glasses have been around for a couple of years she just collaborated for the new style
Kardashian/Jenners are damn cockroaches especially Kylie these few years when it comes to making money by slapping her name on any product/teaming up with any brand that knocks on her door.
Just the smart glasses? Being filmed on smartphone for TikTok or any social media without permission isn’t a violation?
She needs the money
These things are bad for women and thus society. Kylie and Meta can fuck right off.
why does the article link so many videos of women in bikinis being secretly filmed?
The glasses are cute. SPY GLASSES are not. I hate them so much. I hate that it’s normalized to film others. My niece said at her school there’re some teachers that wear them. Students have them on. She said they’re constantly being recorded. I’m like that’s weird as hell. Girls can’t even wear damn tank tops but you can record anyone you want.
It’s really needs to be stopped.
I got caught shooting someone by a streamer wearing these.
It doesn’t make you cool just a jerk.
I play in a band. There’s a pair of these in the front row at every show and they’re not filming our hands.
While this seems like it would be even worse, aren’t we basically able to be filmed anytime anywhere by cell phones as it is? A dude in my high school had like 50 pictures of me without my knowledge on his flip phone back in the day.
I lost my Ray-Bans to the ocean last summer and for a little more than the price of a regular pair, I got the first gen Metas with transition lenses. They’ve really come in handy at work since we’re not allowed to have earbuds in riding equipment. When I’m bike riding, I can record a smooth session. But I’m at the point now where I only wear them in public when I’m with my wife because of this whole perv-glasses movement. I will probably ditch them and take the hit.
The era of privacy is over unless we get these tech giants under control
None of the Kardashians care about society. They just want money. I mean look at what Kim was willing to do to become famous
I know the filming of people is out of order and a gross violation of privacy, but what has not been mentioned is the secret filming of children? Kids playing in the park or on the beach for example. Kids will not know if they are being filmed as it’s just someone outside wearing sunglasses. It’s now something else parents will have to warn their children about, someone acting/looking suspicious in sunglasses. How this technology was allowed is beyond me.
These glasses should be banned
I hate these fucking glasses. Everyone thinks their lives are worth recording or trying to get their viral moment often at the expense of people just trying to do their jobs or live their lives.
It’s kind of a misleading headline because Meta has had glasses with this technology out for years . They partnered with ray ban then with Oakley . Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth did ads for the ray bans and nobody made it seem like their fault if people use it for sketchy reasons
Can’t wait for the “not all men!” Comments
drove through palm springs yesterday and saw a billboard for these fuck ass glasses immediately irritated
What a dumb article lol
When did Kylie ever cared about anyone
The fact that Zuckerberg has an unlimited budget yet had to scrape the barrel with Kylie to try and sell these says everything. No way he wouldnt have gotten someone more relevant if he could. I’m going to take that as a positive sign that most people dont like, want or want to be associated with these abominations 😬
Not surprising coming from someone who’s promoted a mobile game and Flat Tummy Tea before. Is there really any deal she wouldn’t take for the money? She also needs to start caring more about the people who work for her.
College professor here. They’re creeping into classes now during tests.
Also, whoever creates wearables that can jam video recording or render it useless will become an effing billionaire.