Meta is reportedly developing a camera-free version of its smart glasses, following intense public backlash over privacy concerns tied to the camera-equipped model.
According to a report by The Information, the camera-free glasses, codenamed Luna, could be unveiled as early as next week’s Meta Connect conference. The device will reportedly feature six microphones, allowing users to interact with Meta’s AI chatbot and its recently launched AI assistant, Muse, while dropping the camera entirely.
The move comes after Meta’s camera-equipped smart glasses drew sustained criticism for enabling covert recording of strangers in public, earning them the nickname “pervert glasses.” Many owners have reportedly become hesitant to use the glasses in public due to the backlash. In response, Meta has already implemented a remote “kill switch” allowing it to disable the devices, and has cut off access for some users found misusing them.
The camera-free version arrives just days after two families filed a proposed class action lawsuit accusing Meta of extracting biometric information from Instagram and Facebook photos to build a facial recognition system for its smart glasses.
While removing the camera addresses one major criticism, the microphone-based design raises separate privacy questions, since the devices would still be capable of picking up ambient audio from bystanders who may not be aware they are being recorded.
The shift also represents a bet on what actually drives demand for the product. By relying on microphones rather than cameras, Meta appears to be wagering that consumers are willing to pay for AI companion features rather than first-person photography, even as doubts remain about how capable and reliable those AI assistants currently are.
It remains to be seen whether Meta will directly address the backlash over its original camera-equipped glasses at the Connect conference, or whether the camera-free launch will be positioned simply as a new product line.
(Source: Futurism)
