Meta has introduced a new safety feature for its AI glasses, which disables the camera if the LED light indicating recording is tampered with. The update aims to address consumer concerns about the devices being used as surveillance tools. The company claims it is leading the industry in this effort, noting that no other camera has implemented such a safeguard. The move comes after reports that some users had covered the LED light with tape, prompting Meta to adapt its technology to stop recording when the light is blocked. The company’s blog post highlights the need for the update, as users have been found to use 'sophisticated efforts to modify or destroy the capture LED.'
Despite the new safeguard, Meta continues to push features that require users to share more personal data. The company is reportedly testing a prototype of AI glasses that would 'continuously collect audio while taking photos every few seconds.' Additionally, Meta AI can now use anyone’s public Instagram photos to generate AI images, unless users opt out. The company has also built features to use Meta AI on images in users’ Camera Roll that they have never shared, raising privacy concerns. These features have led to poor privacy controls in the Meta AI app, allowing users to inadvertently reveal personal information.
Meta’s privacy policy states that any image shared with Meta AI can be used to train its AI. However, the company faces multiple investigations and lawsuits over privacy violations related to its AI glasses. One lawsuit followed after Meta canceled a contract with an outsourced tech firm in Kenya after workers alleged they had to view graphic content while training Meta’s AI using videos from the glasses. This is not the first time Meta has faced privacy issues, with its reputation tarnished by past scandals like the Cambridge Analytica data breach. The company claims to have invested significantly in privacy since 2019, but its ongoing practices continue to raise concerns among users and regulators.
Source: techcrunch
