Meta’s AI Glasses Raise Serious Privacy Alarms

Meta’s advanced augmented reality glasses, Orion, are setting off privacy alarms as experts warn about unprecedented data collection capabilities tied to an advertising-driven business model, according to NYU’s Center for Business and Human Rights.

The sleek AR glasses, unveiled in September 2024, represent a major technological advancement that allows digital information to be overlaid onto the physical world. But beneath the innovative hardware lies a troubling foundation of extensive surveillance capabilities that could fundamentally reshape privacy expectations.

Powerful Sensors Gather Intimate Data

Unlike previous wearable tech, Orion glasses contain sophisticated sensors that track not just what users see but how they physically interact with their environment. These sensors monitor eye movements, head position, and facial expressions while simultaneously mapping surroundings in real-time.

Privacy researchers warn that this body-based data collection can reveal deeply sensitive information about users, including potential health conditions, emotional states, and even sexual preferences. This represents a significant expansion of Meta’s data collection beyond what’s possible with current smartphones or computers.

The glasses actively process what wearers are looking at, creating an unparalleled stream of intimate behavioral data flowing directly to Meta’s servers when connected features are used.

Ad-Based Business Model Creates Concerning Incentives

What distinguishes Meta’s approach from competitors is the company’s core business model, which remains primarily driven by advertising revenue dependent on harvesting user data for targeted marketing purposes.

Unlike Apple, which has implemented strict on-device processing and limits data collection for its Vision Pro headset, Meta has not adopted similar measures for Orion. The company’s financial incentives appear fundamentally misaligned with robust user privacy protections.

“Having negotiated data processing agreements hundreds of times, I can tell you there’s reason to be concerned,” warns Heather Shoemaker, CEO of Language I/O, in comments to Dark Reading about Meta’s data practices.

Social Dynamics and Power Imbalances

The glasses also create troubling new social dynamics between wearers and non-wearers. A recent experiment by Harvard students demonstrated how Meta’s smart glasses could be combined with facial recognition and AI to automatically identify strangers and access personal information about them without consent, according to IEEE Spectrum.

This creates a power imbalance where AR glasses wearers have access to information about others who cannot see what data is being collected or how it’s being used. The technology enables surveillance that is both ubiquitous and largely invisible to those being observed.

The social friction around recording capabilities seen with Google Glass a decade ago could pale in comparison to the sophisticated data gathering enabled by these new devices.

Regulation Lags Behind Technology

Current privacy regulations were largely designed for an era of websites and smartphones, not wearable AI devices that merge the physical and digital worlds. Lawmakers have been slow to address the unique challenges posed by AR technology.

While Meta has implemented some privacy features, including indicators when recording is active, the company’s track record on data protection has been repeatedly questioned by regulators worldwide. Critics argue that self-regulation is insufficient given the unprecedented intimacy of the data collected.

As Orion models move from limited release to wider consumer availability in the coming years, the need for robust, AR-specific privacy frameworks becomes increasingly urgent.

Fact-check complete. Event date: May 7, 2025