Meta is rolling out a mandatory software update that disables the camera on its AI glasses if the system detects the capture LED has been physically tampered with or destroyed.

The move comes amid growing backlash over privacy concerns. Critics have raised alarms about how the glasses are used to record without consent, especially after modders found ways to block or disable the white LED that blinks during photo capture and stays lit during video recording.

In a new FAQ, Meta confirmed the capture LED has no off switch, and a safeguard has been in place since the second-generation glasses: the camera automatically disables if the LED is blocked. The new update extends that protection to physical tampering — if someone modifies or destroys the LED, the camera stops working entirely.

Meta says it has seen people “go beyond using tape to sophisticated efforts to modify or destroy the capture LED.” It is now removing ads, Marketplace listings, and posts that advertise LED tampering services. The company also vows to ban accounts offering those services and to take legal action, even if the advertisements appear off Meta’s own platforms.

The software update is mandatory and currently rolling out to all Meta smart glasses devices.

The privacy debate comes at a pivotal time for the category. Meta’s Ray-Ban AI glasses dominate the smart glasses market with nearly 70% share, and the company recently launched a lower-cost model without the Ray-Ban brand. Addressing public concern about surreptitious recording is increasingly central to maintaining consumer trust in the form factor.

Source: Engadget