I'll never be convinced by Meta's 'pervert glasses' | Opinion
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What are your thoughts on Meta glasses?
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In advertising, Meta describes them as “iconic style meets Meta AI”. In a memo last year, Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said: ‘If you don’t have glasses that have AI you will be at a cognitive disadvantage.”
But for many, it’s like something out of the dystopian TV series Black Mirror – and the backlash online has been swift.
“Most people don’t want pervert glasses that can film us without our consent,” said a spokesperson from activist group @everyonehateselon_ . The group has launched a series of guerilla adverts deriding non-consensual filming by the glasses as well as an email campaign encouraging people to legally object to being filmed by Meta glasses under general data protection regulations, which over 20,000 people have signed.
Rights groups have warned that the glasses threaten the right to privacy, while countries such as Germany are reportedly considering a ban.
And while Meta’s safety guidelines say smart glasses should not be used for “harassment, infringing on privacy rights, or capturing sensitive information”, women have taken to social media to share their stories of being filmed by men without their consent.
“It feels like my discomfort and image was exploited,” said Beth, 18, who was filmed without her knowledge by these glasses last year.
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