From Smart Glasses to Spy Glasses for a Few Euros: The Ray-Ban Meta Case

Smart glasses are becoming increasingly popular, especially thanks to Ray-Ban Meta, a product that combines functionality and design. However, there is a privacy issue that has not yet been resolved. Smart glasses can be used to take photos and videos of others without being noticed.

The Meta glasses have a small LED that indicates when the device is taking photos or recording videos. Furthermore, Meta prevents the use of the glasses if the LED is covered, in order to ensure maximum transparency.

Modding the Meta Glasses

In recent months, however, a true community of modders has emerged with the goal of disabling the LED on the Meta Ray-Bans, allowing users to record videos without being noticed (a clear violation of the terms of use set by Meta). Joanna Stern, a former journalist for the Wall Street Journal, analyzed in detail how this sector operates in her latest YouTube video. From what emerged, the "modding" of smart glasses can be done at a cost of $50-$100 by reaching out to a modder. The journalist pointed out that a quick search on Facebook Marketplace makes it easy to find a "professional" capable of performing the operation and disabling the LED, transforming smart glasses into "spy glasses."

This modification voids Meta's warranty but is not regarded as an illegal operation, even though using smart glasses without a notification LED could involve illegal activities.