Meta Launches Camera-Free Smart Glasses Amid Privacy Concerns

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Menlo Park: Meta has announced its first camera-free smart glasses, the Ray-Ban Meta Audio, as privacy concerns over wearable devices capable of discreetly recording people intensify. The glasses start at $349 and will arrive on October 13.

Unlike Meta's previous camera-equipped glasses, the new model prioritizes audio, phone calls, music, translation, and hands-free access to Muse, Meta's AI assistant. Without cameras, the glasses are smaller and lighter, with a battery life of up to 12 hours on one charge.

The introduction comes as AI smart glasses face increased criticism for covert recording and consent, with regulators and privacy groups in multiple nations raising concerns. Meta claimed that its camera-equipped glasses have safety features such as recording indicator lights, whereas the new camera-free variant eliminates the potential to shoot photographs and videos entirely.