US police fear Meta smart glasses could be used to secretly record them
Documents show officers from Maine to California worry Meta’s camera-equipped glasses will be used either to secretly record them or aid acts of terrorism
In January, the New York Police Department’s counterterrorism unit sent out a memo warning police officers about a new potential “security and counterintelligence” threat: Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
The memo directed officers to “conduct thorough inspections of all eyewear permitted within inmate cells” and cautioned that people who have been arrested could use these glasses, equipped with small cameras and microphones, to record inside police facilities. The memo cited two examples of such videos posted on social media.
“The ability to covertly record inside a law enforcement or detention facility, could result in a security risk if proprietary information about cell layouts, camera placements, or officer patrol/site protection routines are released,” the memo read.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/08/us-law-enforcement-meta-smart-glassesOpen linkView original on lemmy.world
23 replies
Ironically this is the one use case I can come up with that would prevent me from judging someone using them
I kinda feel like thats the point behind putting this in the news tbh.
You can buy a cheap bodycam for under $100. A mid range option with UHD res and a wider angle lens is like $100-$250.
The police stuff (like Motorola) is around $400-$700.
All of these options are cheaper than Meta's glasses and don't come with the explicit purpose of invading privacy for the benefit of Meta.
police frequently "request" you to turn off cameras and get aggressive when you refuse
They also want you off the sidewalk, away from everything, unable to see what they are doing, so on.
I'd bet they know what meta glasses look like too.
Edit: Mobile keyboard typos.
It's probably slightly harder to recognize, especially if painted pink or some other color
here's another
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/14/smart-glasses-controversy-sidelines-the-benefits-for-disabled-people
Dammit, I’m looking for more reasons to hate them, not the other way around.
Come to think of it maybe we are fighting flock the wrong way.
What if instead of pushing to remove them, we push to make them open access to all, IE we push to allow anyone to do lookups for a small cost (because that's the way to get flock to walk into the trap). Hail it as a tool for police accountability, and let the police unions shut it down for us.
My favorite thing about surveillance cameras is that it's a super easy way to assassinate world leaders.
You would think they would have known better than to connect them to the Internet.
This has ever been the only solution.
You absolutely cannot win against a new technology that confers an advantage, without using that technology. The solution to blanket surveillance, is that everyone have access to genuinely total surveillance.
What if you could see everywhere your politician goes and everyone they meet? Your police officers? The billionaires? All the time? Just like they can you?
The flock CEO is already watching your little girls swim at the pool. The bully from school became a cop and he can see everything you do, then hide his actions and blackmail you.
You can't see the CEO dressed up as a swim instructor, jerking it with sunblock. You can't see the cop driving around in his civilian car exploiting the girls who got away in highschool, for blowjobs.
But you should be able to.
That has the perfect word, and it is sousveillance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sousveillance
I'm not convinced it's impossible to set up a fake police department and request access.
What are they afraid of?
If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear .
Right? Right?!?!
Something something surveillance for thee not for me
Right, they're worried about security, not evidence of abuse.
What's that they always say, "If you've got nothing to hide, you've nothing to worry about."?
Aftermarket 360 surround cameras and mics for cars are available. Along with Zuckerberg's pervert glasses, this would give you better video of a traffic stop than cops have.
I want to come up with a Flock pun for this but it’s too early…
Um, aren't all these assholes supposed to be getting recorded anyway?
Leopards .. something .. something .. face.
They're going to confiscate all glasses now aren't they? Jesus Christ...
I can’t even.