Meta is rolling out a software update for its AI-powered smart glasses to address a loophole that allowed wearers to record others covertly. The update ensures that the device's camera will cease functioning if the front-facing LED indicator is obscured during use.
Closing the Recording Loophole
Alex Himel, Meta’s vice president of augmented reality, confirmed the fix in a Threads post, stating that "the camera will now stop working if the light is covered during a recording." While the glasses were already designed to disable the camera if the LED was covered before starting, some users discovered they could bypass this by covering the light after recording had already begun.
Himel noted that while only a "tiny minority" of users attempt to circumvent these protections, the company remains committed to ensuring the LED reliably alerts bystanders. This technical adjustment follows a previous update that disabled the camera when the capture light was physically tampered with.
Marketing Awareness
To supplement the technical fix, Meta is launching a marketing campaign aimed at educating the public and users about the capture light's significance. A spokesperson for the company told The Verge that the campaign is targeting communities where the glasses are popular, such as Los Angeles.
A current billboard features the glasses with the caption: “The camera lets you capture the moment. The light lets everyone around you know when you do.” Meta’s promotional videos further emphasize the message that "no light" means "no capture," attempting to distance the product from its reputation for facilitating harassment and non-consensual filming.
