Wearable devices could be used to spy on people without their knowledge, and fears are rising over privacy concerns, as Meta Platforms is set to release a new generation of smart glasses at its annual Connect conference on Wednesday, in some cases without camera, according to reports. The shift would be a significant one for Meta, which has already been overemphasising cameras as a core component of its smart glasses.
Meta has become one of the top players in the fast-growing smart glasses industry. The manufacturer has partnered with EssilorLuxottica to create its glasses, which have recorded good sales, exceeding 7 million units in 2025. The company is at a competitive disadvantage in the industry as it searches for new technologies to replace the smartphone and other traditional gadgets, against other players such as Chinese manufacturers RayNeo and Xiaomi.
The popularity of smart glasses with cameras, though, has raised privacy concerns. Smart glasses can work from the wearer’s face and may look like regular glasses, as opposed to a smartphone that is typically held in front of someone when capturing an image, or recording a video. The disparity has led to concerns that they may not always be obviously being recorded by those around them.
The concerns have already had an impact on how the glasses can be used. Various restaurants, pubs and theaters in the U.K. have implemented smart glasses restrictions due to worries over unauthorized recording and piracy. Other organizations have voiced concerns about the use of glasses equipped with cameras in sensitive areas, too.
Meta has also been embroiled in legal battles over the privacy of its smart glasses. A proposed class-action lawsuit in California states the company didn’t do enough to protect its users and that human employees who were used for training artificial intelligence systems watched and marked videos containing highly private moments. Meta has denied the claims and stated it will fight back.
The dispute has brought to the fore the question of processing and handling of footage acquired by wearable technology. Smart glasses can do more than simply take photographs. They have AI capabilities that can interpret content a wearer is viewing, respond to queries regarding items and environment, and communicate with other digital services. The timing of information access (both capture and storage), as well as who can access information is increasingly important to the consumer.
Meta is also planning to launch two new designs for the glasses, dubbed Clubmaster and Burbank, that will lack cameras. Instead, they will reportedly center on microphones, speakers, and voice interaction with AI services provided by Meta. The design aims at keeping some of the hands-free benefits of smart glasses, but eliminating one of the features that has been most controversial.
The camera-free glasses might be better received in areas where cameras are banned. It can also alter the consumer thinking that they may have about the product. The glasses are not just about taking photos and video anymore, but could be worn as an on-the-go voice assistant, built into normal glasses.
This could be a way for Meta to get to the people who want to learn about AI but don’t want to wear a camera on their face. A device reminiscent of traditional glasses rather than a device that is obviously a camera may also encounter fewer social hurdles than a wearable device with a camera.
Meanwhile, removing the camera makes for another challenge. One of the most common and helpful aspects of smart glasses has been the ability to shoot photos and videos. If a consumer doesn’t have those features, they might wonder what distinguishes the product from wireless earbuds or any of the other voice-to-vocal devices.
Linda Sui of the market research firm Smart Analytics Global noted that “microphones and audio collection might raise similar concerns, but that’s likely to be minor compared to the concerns about video.
“More importantly, if the glasses do not have a heads-up display, the removal of the camera will cause a product differentiation issue: if it is mostly about voice interaction, the consumers will wonder why they should have the glasses over Bluetooth earbuds and microphones/speakers.
Her comments point to a bigger problem in the wearable tech world. Despite the removal of a camera, one threat to privacy may have been eliminated, but not necessarily another threat to privacy, i.e. data collection. If there is not a camera involved, the issues of consent and data handling apply to the microphone as well, because it can record conversations and environment sound.
Meta will also be rolling out other products as it continues to develop its wearable technology strategy. Its camera-equipped Meta Ray-Ban glasses are expected to be updated and the thin and light augmented reality version, which is said to be codenamed Phoenix, is also believed to be announced.
Expecting the Phoenix to develop is not surprising as competitors keep pouring money into augmented reality. In a new development, Snap announced several new partnerships and software details for its Specs augmented-reality glasses, which will launch later this year at a rumored price tag of $2,195. The competition indicates that big tech firms consider glasses as a promising replacement for certain smartphone features.
The problem for Meta is that it’s about more than just a new hardware product. The company hopes to create wearable technologies which people will be comfortable using in public spaces, while also impressing those around the wearer that their privacy is being respected.
The problem is especially important since smart glasses are changing the definition of personal technology and the environment. When someone is taking a picture, a smartphone usually provides a visual cue to people in the immediate vicinity. However, technological protections must complement the social norms to make that interaction less apparent.
