Ray-Ban Meta privacy problems go from bad to worse with nightmarish 'super sensing' feature
by Andy Boxall · Android PoliceBarely a day has gone by since Meta quietly noted some people are abusing the Ray-Ban Meta’s camera feature, and rumors are now gathering about a way it intends to ignore all the safety and privacy concerns that come with covert camera recording using smartglasses.
It’s reportedly testing a feature called 'super sensing,' which would disable any LED recording light entirely, and let the camera and microphones record snippets of your day all the time.
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Super sensing, super invasive
The 'super sensing' feature is being tested using a prototype, according to the Financial Times, but if it’s approved, it could be sent out to existing Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses through a software update.
The idea is for the glasses photographic, video, and audio recording features to capture your day and everything that happens around you, and then use AI to catalog it, enabling a real-time search of your “memories.”
It’s already a privacy red flag, and made worse by the suggestion there will be no LED indicator light to show when the smart glasses are taking a photograph, or recording video or audio.
LED indicator fix
The report comes almost immediately after Meta issued a software update for its smartglasses, where any attempt to destroy or disable the recording LED indicator will stop the camera from functioning.
It has also stepped up moderation on its platforms for tools and services that claim to disable the LED, which make it impossible for people to know if they’re being recorded by someone wearing Ray-Ban Meta.
It’s a small step towards improving safety and privacy, but it remains a serious concern, and threatens to spoil one of the Ray-Ban Meta’s most enjoyable features for those who do not abuse it.
Life-logging’s back
Meta’s 'super sensing' feature puts an AI spin on the life-logging trend, which has repeatedly tried to take off, but failed due to not only privacy concerns, but a lack of general interest in the space too.
Recently, the MemoMind One smartglasses arrived with an AI-powered memory function, where the glasses listen to your daily activities and create a summary, including highlights and a wishlist of things you want to do.
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The MemoMind One smartglasses do not have a camera, and rely solely on audio capture.
Meta’s 'super sensing' feature is not official, and the company is likely to continuously test new features that never see a public release.
Considering the backlash the company, and the Ray-Ban Meta’s camera, are already experiencing, this seems like another one to consign to the ‘bad idea’ folder.