Day 353: Spooky Smart Glasses

Photo by Jack Hamilton on Unsplash

My family and I watched Black Mirror this weekend (I’m late to that party) and got a little freaked out. Just as we were discussing data privacy (or lack thereof), my sister-in-law got an ad for these new Ray-ban Meta sunglasses.

With embedded cameras, they allow you to toggle back and forth between your glasses and phone cameras while on video calls.

The arms contain open-air speakers that can deliver calls and music to you and you only (so they say) through directional speakers. With voice commands, you can ask AI for anything you need just by saying, “Hey Meta.”

The Privacy Creep

If we weren’t freaked out enough before seeing the ad, we certainly were after. No need even to sign a 79-page “terms and conditions” agreement. The person who sits next to you may be recording everything you do without you even noticing.

I’m sure someone thinks this is a dream come true. Many more people surely think it’s only a small step from where we already were. (Your cubicle neighbor could have been recording you before using their phone.)

But that’s just it — we might be like the frog who doesn’t know to jump out of the gradually boiling water until it’s too late.