Meta’s pause on international expansion for its Ray-Ban smart glasses is a reminder that demand for AI-enabled wearables is racing ahead of real safeguards.
NLPC has pressed the company—and its competitors—on AI and data-privacy risks. These devices can record audio, images, location, and bystander information, creating room for misuse and liability. Smart glasses normalize always-on cameras and mics in both public and private settings, capturing people who haven’t consented. The footage and other recordings (even movements and routines) can then be analyzed and repurposed. According to the Wall Street Journal:
The Meta Ray-Ban Display was launched in the U.S. last year, furthering a growing boom in wearable tech. The device can be used to take photographs and stream content and unlike previous smartglasses, the model features a small display that the wearer can see from the corner of his or her eye. The glasses are also linked to artificial-intelligence features, such as AI assistants, via users’ smartphones.
“We continue to lead the industry in AI glasses,” Meta’s founder and chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg (pictured above), told investors at the company’s most recent trading update.
A pickup in AI functionality has driven a spurt in wearable tech in recent years. Google plans to release its own pair of glasses powered by its large language model Gemini this year, while ChatGPT owner OpenAI is set to release its own family of AI devices by 2027.
NLPC’s 2025 Meta shareholder proposal pushed for transparency on data scraping, ad integrity, and model-training inputs across platforms. These glasses open a new front for collection and profiling, with AI that can interpret what the wearer sees and hears—often sweeping up non-users.
The window of accountability is narrowing. Before wearables grow any further, investors should demand board-level proof that these products are designed for safety at scale. They will have the opportunity to vote for accountability again in Meta’s upcoming annual meeting, as we have submitted our transparency proposal for consideration this year as well.
