Meta just rolled out a software update that disables the camera on its Ray-Ban smart glasses if someone tampers with the privacy LED. At the same time, the company is reportedly testing a prototype that captures audio and images continuously, potentially without any LED indicator at all.
The LED lockdown
Version 26 of the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses software began its phased rollout around July 8, 2026. The update introduces automatic camera shutdown when the device detects that its white capture LED has been tampered with or destroyed.
Users had been physically modifying their glasses, some going as far as drilling out the LED entirely, to record without the telltale white light that signals to bystanders they’re being filmed.
The glasses already had a feature that disabled the camera when the LED was merely covered. The new update goes further, detecting whether the LED has been permanently removed or damaged.
