During a personal Instagram AMA, Bosworth defended the existing glasses, saying most users treat them like a phone camera – convenient and hands‑free – and pointed to the built‑in LED indicator and anti‑tampering software that stops recording when the light is covered.
He acknowledged that a small number of “bad actors” have tried to bypass the indicator, noting that a recent software update in 2024 blocked a loophole that let users start recording, cover the light, and continue filming. Meta said the fix affected fewer than one in a thousand units, which translates to several thousand glasses out of the roughly seven million pairs sold annually.
Critics quickly highlighted that a $2 sticker can defeat the LED safeguard, a vulnerability reported by The Next Web earlier this month, underscoring the fragility of the privacy guarantee.
European regulators have already taken action. Paris prosecutors opened a criminal inquiry into sexual harassment cases involving the glasses, Norway is considering restrictions on camera‑equipped wearables, and Hamburg’s data‑protection commissioner warned the devices may breach German concealed‑recording rules. The European Data Protection Board is also preparing a report on the product category.
In parallel with the regulatory scrutiny, The Information reported that Meta is developing Luna, a version that removes the camera entirely and relies on six microphones for audio capture. The Next Web said Luna could be unveiled at Connect on 23 September with shipments slated for October.
Removing the camera would directly address the by‑stander privacy issue that the LED indicator was meant to solve, but it would shift concerns to audio recording, for which no visual cue exists. Luna’s design therefore raises new questions about how users will be signalled that the device is listening.
Meta is not alone in the market. Apple has announced a target launch for its own smart glasses in 2027 and has not yet disclosed how it will handle camera or microphone privacy, meaning Meta’s camera‑free model could set a new industry benchmark.
Bosworth concluded his AMA by promising more details at Connect, a statement that comes just five days after he described the public debate as being dominated by a fringe of malicious users.