TL;DRMeta is updating its Ray-Ban, Oakley, and own-brand smart glasses to disable the camera if the recording LED is physically tampered with or destroyed, closing a loophole modders used to record covertly. It is also removing mod-service listings, banning accounts, and weighing legal action. The fix reopens a bigger debate about whether camera-first glasses can ever be private, as cameraless rival Even Realities raises $150m at a $1bn valuation.
Meta is updating its smart glasses to shut off the camera if the recording light has been physically tampered with or destroyed. The change, announced in a 7 July blog post, closes a loophole that let modders turn the glasses into covert recorders.
A white LED lights up whenever the glasses capture photos or video, signalling to bystanders that they are being filmed. Meta already blocked recording if the light was covered with tape, but determined users drilled out the LED hardware to bypass it entirely.
The new software detects that hardware tampering and disables the camera until the light works again. It is rolling out to second-generation devices across Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta, and Meta’s own $300 glasses line.
Meta is also going after the people selling the mods. The company said it will remove ads and Marketplace listings for such services, ban accounts, and pursue legal action against individuals and businesses that tamper with its tech.
