Meta cracks down on smart glasses harassment with new Instagram ban

Taking a frontal charge against privacy concerns surrounding camera-equipped smart glasses, Meta will now ban users who post harassing videos recorded with smart glasses on Instagram. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in an Instagram Story this week, "We don't want people surreptitiously taking videos of other people, harassing them, and then posting them on our platform. So we're trying to fight that in any way we can," as reported by Business Insider.

Meta has not yet clarified how these bans will be enforced or how the company will identify such videos. However, it has become increasingly vigilant about this type of content. The company recently banned two prominent pranksters who were using smart glasses to record strangers, confirming that the action was taken under its new harassment policy.

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Public Concerns regarding Smart Glasses

The move comes in response to growing public concern over smart glasses, which have already attracted significant backlash online. Much of the criticism stems from the devices' ability to discreetly record videos, making it easier for bad actors to film strangers without their consent. While Meta introduced safeguards such as a recording indicator light, users quickly discovered how easy it was to cover or bypass the indicator.

Meta glasses earn a new nickname- "Pervert Glasses"

Becoming synonymous with an unflattering nickname is often a marketing nightmare, as it overshadows the image a company wants to build around its product. Being labelled "pervert glasses" has done little to help Meta's efforts. The backlash has reached new heights, with smart glasses reportedly getting athletes disqualified from competitions and, in some cases, leading to criminal charges against users. New York has also banned the devices inside courtrooms.

Meta continues to position its smart glasses as practical everyday devices, highlighting situations where they can be genuinely useful. However, reports that the company is also developing smart glasses capable of continuously recording their surroundings have done little to ease privacy concerns. Meanwhile, competition in the category continues to grow, with Samsung recently unveiling a range of AI-powered smart glasses developed in partnership with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, featuring Google Gemini capabilities, at its Galaxy Unpacked event.