All articles tagged with #ray ban
Meta says it will crack down on users who disable a key privacy feature on Ray‑Ban Meta smart glasses, a move aimed at preventing covert, AI-assisted recording and addressing safety concerns around wearable devices; the company told NBC News’ Joanna Stern it plans enforcement against those who bypass the privacy indicator on the gadgets.
Meta announces a cheaper standalone Meta Glasses starting at $299, built with EssilorLuxottica and featuring a Meta AI button, Muse Spark AI, live translation in 14 languages, open-ear audio, cameras with a privacy ring light, and 8 hours of use (up to 40 extra hours with a foldable charging case). The lineup includes 26 styles across Meta’s store and retailers, while continuing support for Ray-Ban and Oakley partnerships.
Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth argues privacy expectations for its new Ray‑Ban–free smart glasses will be shaped by public opinion and social norms rather than hardware tweaks. The piece notes no announced privacy upgrades like a camera indicator, tamper-proofing, or camera covers, leaving concerns about misuse and data collection unresolved as the market and rivals (Google, etc.) push forward.
Meta announced a partnership with EssilorLuxottica to launch Meta Glasses, pairing Meta’s AR technology with EssilorLuxottica’s eyewear brands (including Ray-Ban and Oakley) to bring AI-powered augmented-reality glasses to market.
Meta is launching its cheaper Meta Glasses at $299, removing Ray‑Ban branding to reach a broader audience. The lineup includes a Kylie Jenner collaboration, with EssilorLuxottica involvement, and Meta promises privacy updates amid scrutiny, while adding Muse Spark AI features and broader prescription support.
Engadget’s review of Ray‑Ban Meta Optics finds second‑gen frames offer a noticeably better, more discreet fit with swappable nose pads and moldable tips, plus longer battery life and a new action button. However, the base $499 price plus expensive prescription lenses can push total cost beyond $700, and Meta’s privacy concerns—especially around data use and potential facial recognition—make it a niche purchase for those who need vision correction and value comfort.
Samsung’s Galaxy Glasses leak reveals two models in development: Jinju (entry-level, no display) and Haean (premium with a micro‑LED AR display), with Jinju slated for late 2026 and Haean in 2027. The lineup, which emphasizes audio, AI, and an autofocus camera, appears aimed at everyday users and could challenge Meta’s Ray‑Ban glasses, signaling a broader consumer AR strategy that could incorporate Google’s Gemini AI features.
Bloomberg reports Meta is preparing two AI Ray‑Ban glasses tailored for prescription wearers—rectangular and rounded frames—sold through traditional eyewear channels. The devices aren’t a new Ray‑Ban Displays generation, but the first AI glasses designed specifically for people who wear prescription lenses, with FCC filings suggesting a near-term launch.
A Gizmodo piece notes increasing privacy concerns around smart glasses, highlighting Inmo Go 3’s built‑in camera privacy cover alongside coverage of Meta’s Ray‑Ban AI glasses and Senate concerns about facial recognition, suggesting brands may add stronger privacy features to win trust.
Meta plans to enable real-time facial recognition via Name Tag on Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses, pulling names and profiles from Facebook/Instagram. The data backbone reportedly stems from billions of previously tagged photos and crowdsourced labeling by contractors, with internal plans to launch during a politically chaotic moment and frame it as accessibility—while offering opt-out controls that provide limited protection. Regulators have already fined Meta over $2 billion for biometric privacy violations, but critics warn the roadmap could shift toward always-on, ambient surveillance, amplifying risks to privacy and safety for vulnerable people.
A Swedish investigative report based on interviews with Sama workers and former Meta employees alleges that contractors reviewing Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses footage have seen highly sensitive material, including intimate moments and bathroom scenes, highlighting ongoing privacy concerns around Meta's wearables. Meta confirms it uses contractors to review user content to improve AI, with privacy protections like blurring faces, and policies allow human review of recordings and transcripts. A related class-action lawsuit argues Meta deceived consumers with privacy promises; regulators and press continue to scrutinize Meta's plans, including potential facial recognition features, while Sama emphasizes GDPR/CCPA compliance and secure data handling.
Swedish reports say offshore Meta workers in Kenya are labeling intimate and disturbing videos captured by Ray‑Ban smart glasses to train AI, including footage from bathrooms and clips showing personal data. Working under Sama, they describe being required to review such material, raising privacy and consent concerns as Meta pushes live AI features and potential facial recognition, amid related moderator‑work lawsuits.
Retail customers have filed lawsuits against FedEx and Ray-Ban’s maker, Luxottica, alleging that tariff costs were improperly passed along to consumers and seeking relief from the added charges.
Apple is reportedly developing AI-powered smart glasses that use Visual Intelligence to analyze the world, read and translate text, and provide real-time Info, with Tim Cook signaling interest in the feature as the company’s “next big thing” to compete with Meta’s Ray-Ban Display.
Mark Zuckerberg arrived at Los Angeles Superior Court flanked by aides, with Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses visible on his entourage; the judge warned that anyone recording the proceedings with glasses could be held in contempt. The trial focuses on whether design features keep teens scrolling; Meta and Google’s YouTube are defendants (TikTok and Snap have settled). Zuckerberg testified as Meta touts its AI-enabled glasses, whose 2025 sales tripled and which may gain facial-recognition features in the future.