Meta faces multiple lawsuits over privacy concerns related to its AI-enabled smart glasses, as the company prepares to release new wearable devices. More than 70 plaintiffs—including users and individuals recorded without their knowledge—have filed a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging the devices captured sensitive footage that was reviewed by overseas contractors.
The suit, amended in late August and filed in a federal court in Northern California, accuses Meta of fraud, false advertising, and violations of consumer protection laws. It claims that contractors in Kenya, working for companies subcontracted by Meta, accessed intimate images and videos captured by the glasses. The plaintiffs contend the footage included private activities such as undressing, bathroom use, sexual encounters, and password entry. Some users say they were unaware the glasses were recording at the time.
One California user, identified as PL18 in the suit, alleges his glasses recorded footage when left unattended on a bathroom counter, with images of family members appearing in his gallery without their consent. Another user in Los Angeles, referred to as PL01, claims the glasses recorded during private moments in his bedroom. Steven Beltran, also from California, says the glasses falsely activated at least twice daily.
According to the lawsuit, video and audio are transmitted to Meta’s servers every time the AI feature is activated—either intentionally by voice command, such as saying “Hey Meta,” or accidentally, for example during adjustments. This data is then routed overseas to contractors who review and label the content to improve Meta’s AI systems. The suit cites a February investigation by Swedish newspapers that interviewed more than 30 employees of a Meta subcontractor, Sama, and former Meta staff. Some Kenyan reviewers reported that faces were sometimes visible despite policies to blur them.
Meta markets the glasses as a hands-free device to listen to audio, take calls, capture video, and interact with its AI assistant. The company states that a light signals when recording is active and that the AI assistant does not save images to the user's photo gallery, with faces and license plates blurred for privacy.
The lawsuit also challenges Meta’s development of biometric features such as “NameTag,” which would reportedly allow wearers to identify others in real life. Meta’s chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, described the feature as a tool to help users remember names. However, the American Civil Liberties Union and over 70 organizations have criticized the concept, warning of significant privacy risks and urging Meta not to release facial recognition features.
A separate lawsuit filed in September in Illinois alleges that Meta exploited publicly posted images on Facebook and Instagram to train AI models powering NameTag and similar tools without user consent. The suit accuses Meta of creating biometric identifiers from social media photos. Plaintiffs, including California resident Jeremy Wahl, claim they were not notified that their images were being used in this manner.
Meta denies wrongdoing and maintains that its data practices align with industry standards. A company spokesperson acknowledged that data from Meta AI is reviewed to improve products but emphasized efforts to protect user privacy by filtering identifying information. Regarding NameTag, Meta states it has not launched the feature and intends to approach its release with transparency, asserting it is not building a universal facial recognition database.
Meta is scheduled to unveil its latest wearable products during its developers conference in Menlo Park. The outcome of the legal challenges could influence the company’s future AI and wearable strategies amid growing concerns over data privacy and surveillance.