Meta has disabled the cameras on thousands of its AI-powered glasses following software updates designed to prevent users from secretly recording others by tampering with the device’s recording indicator light.
The company confirmed the enforcement action in recent weeks, stating that the cameras were shut down on affected devices after detecting physical tampering with the recording indicator lights. Meta reported that the update impacted less than one tenth of a percent of all Meta AI glasses sold. According to Semafor, the enforcement affected approximately 7,000 devices out of 7 million sold in 2025 alone.
The glasses, which include an LED light to signal when recording begins, previously allowed users to disable the light after starting a recording. Meta has now enhanced the security feature so that the recording function is automatically deactivated if the light is tampered with, including if a user covers the light after filming has started. The company stated that this change ensures the LED reliably alerts bystanders when photos or videos are being captured.
Meta also launched an education and awareness campaign to emphasize the light’s role in signaling recording activity. The company noted that the deterrent effect of these measures has led some third-party services offering LED tampering to shut down operations.
Meta’s response and rationale
Meta’s vice president of wearables, Alex Himel, emphasized the company’s commitment to privacy protections in a social media post. "We're going to keep rolling out updates like this to make sure the capture LED can reliably alert bystanders when photos or videos are being captured for someone's gallery," Himel stated. "Only a tiny minority of people try to get around these protections, and the fact they have to go to these lengths shows our efforts are working."
Meta’s chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, further defended the glasses’ privacy features in an Instagram Q&A, calling them "the most privacy-forward camera" for consumers. "Your phone doesn't have that, and it's the most commonly held camera on earth," Bosworth noted, referencing the recording indicator light.
Broader context and criticism
The AI glasses have faced criticism over privacy concerns, with some users and advocacy groups referring to them as "pervert glasses" due to incidents involving unauthorized recordings. Business Insider previously reported on challenges Instagram has faced in removing harassing content filmed on Meta glasses in public spaces. The glasses have always included an indicator light, but users have found ways to hide or disable it.
Meta has responded to these concerns with additional measures, including a public relations campaign featuring billboards in Los Angeles that describe the eyewear as "designed for everyone" and "not just the people wearing them."
Incident highlights privacy risks
In August, CBS News reported on a woman who discovered a video of herself on social media after being unknowingly filmed by a man wearing the glasses. The woman stated she had no knowledge of being recorded and had never consented to the recording. Meta’s enhanced security features aim to prevent such incidents by ensuring the recording indicator light cannot be easily circumvented.
Meta has not disclosed the total number of devices sold since the glasses’ launch in 2021, though sales reached 7 million units in 2025. The company has framed the enforcement action as a targeted response to a small fraction of users attempting to bypass privacy protections.
The updates reflect Meta’s ongoing efforts to balance innovation with user privacy, particularly as wearable technology becomes more integrated into daily life.