Meta to Unveil Camera-Free Smart Glasses Amid Rising Privacy Concerns

Meta Platforms is expected to unveil new smart glasses at its annual Connect conference on Wednesday, including camera-free models, as concerns grow over privacy and covert recording. The company, which partnered with EssilorLuxottica to develop its smart glasses, sold more than 7 million units last year, establishing a strong position in the market, where it faces competition from Chinese firms such as RayNeo and Xiaomi.

The growing popularity of AI-powered glasses has raised privacy concerns worldwide, with several UK restaurants, pubs and theatres restricting their use. Meta is also facing a proposed class-action lawsuit in California alleging that it misled users about privacy protections and that human annotators reviewed footage containing private moments uploaded to its servers. Meta contests the allegations and plans to defend itself. According to The Information, the company is expected to introduce camera-free glasses in Clubmaster and Burbank styles.

Analysts also anticipate a new version of Meta Ray-Ban glasses with cameras, alongside a thinner, lighter augmented-reality model reportedly codenamed Phoenix. However, experts question whether removing cameras alone will address privacy concerns, as the devices can still record audio. Smart Analytics Global founder Linda Sui noted that camera-free glasses without a heads-up display could face a product differentiation challenge, with consumers potentially questioning their value compared with Bluetooth earbuds.

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