Overview
- Meta partnered with high‑profile figures including Kylie Jenner, BLACKPINK’s Jennie and Virat Kohli to mainstream lower‑cost Ray‑Ban/Meta camera glasses through fashion and lifestyle marketing.
- Critics and activists have focused anger on the campaign’s use of female influencers, arguing the marketing 'feminizes' the device and downplays risks of covert filming and harassment.
- Researchers and journalists have shown concrete misuse risks, noting the latest glasses record up to three minutes continuously and Harvard researchers demonstrated facial‑recognition on footage that can be linked to names and addresses.
- Meta has issued a firmware update that disables the camera if the front LED is obscured or damaged, but grassroots actions such as mock bus ads in London and widespread online criticism continued.
- The clash between booming sales—EssilorLuxottica reported more than 7 million units sold in 2025—and mounting safety, privacy, and legal concerns is increasing pressure for new rules, venue bans, and closer scrutiny of wearable‑camera marketing.