Consumer and Digital Rights Groups Seek Investigation into Meta Smart Glasses Over Privacy Risks

The Instituto de Defesa de Consumidores (Idec) and the digital rights organization Coding Rights have requested that Brazilian authorities investigate the sale of Meta smart glasses. The entities asked the Federal Public Ministry (MPF), the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), and the Ministry of Justice or National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon) to examine risks to privacy and potential violations of the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) and the Consumer Defense Code. The request specifically highlights risks to women and children, citing the possibility of recording intimate or embarrassing scenes without consent.

The devices, produced by Meta in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, feature built-in cameras, microphones, and speakers. While the glasses include an LED light to signal when recording is active, the organizations argue that this alert is small, easily overlooked, or can be bypassed by damaging the lamp. Meta has responded by stating that privacy is considered from the start of development and that the camera is automatically deactivated if the LED is covered or damaged.

The complaint points to several specific concerns, including the use of the glasses for covert recordings in medical offices and the rise of "prank" videos on social media. One cited incident involved a gynecologist in Salvador who was arrested after a patient reported him for using the glasses during a consultation; the arrest was later annulled because no images were found on the device. Additionally, the entities expressed concern over facial recognition. While the feature is not currently active, reports indicate that the company has filed patents for such technology and that researchers from MIT demonstrated that facial recognition could be achieved by streaming live video to Instagram and applying a filter.

Another point of contention is the handling of data. The organizations argue that content sent to Meta servers may be reviewed by third party providers to train artificial intelligence models. Meta maintains that the products are useful for tasks such as listening to music, making hands free calls, and real time translation, while emphasizing that users are responsible for following the law.