Meta disables smart glasses cameras following LED manipulation

Meta has implemented a software update for its AI smart glasses, including Ray-Ban and Oakley models, to prevent users from bypassing privacy protections. The update targets the manipulation of the white capture LED, which is designed to signal when a photo or video is being recorded.

Previously, some users found ways to record footage by covering the LED after a recording had already started. The new update ensures that if the LED is obscured during an active recording, the camera function will automatically stop.

Meta is also taking stricter measures against physical tampering. If the system detects that the LED has been physically removed, damaged, or otherwise manipulated, the camera functionality will be permanently disabled. In such cases, the glasses can still be used for audio and Bluetooth functions, but the camera will no longer work.

While Meta reports that fewer than 0.1 percent of users have attempted to manipulate the mechanism, this represents several thousand devices given the high sales volume of the smart glasses.