Meta unveiled new Ray-Ban AI glasses and audio-only smart glasses at Connect, alongside privacy features like Private Processing, as backlash over covert recording and facial recognition concerns intensifies. The camera-less glasses and enhanced privacy protections represent Meta's response to criticism from celebrities, bans in public spaces, and regulatory scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe.
Meta is launching Ray-Ban Meta Audio, a camera-free version of its smart glasses, amid controversy over the original camera-enabled model being used to film people without consent. The new audio-only glasses retain phone and music functions but remove privacy concerns, though Meta denies the release was a response to public backlash. The move raises questions about whether tech companies are shifting away from camera-equipped smart glasses.