An activist campaign is targeting Meta's AI-enabled Ray-Ban smart glasses with an unusual appeal to Londoners: turn them in and 'restore what's left of your dignity'.
Everyone Hates Elon, a campaign group opposed to Elon Musk and major tech firms, has set up 'amnesty boxes' outside Ray-Ban stores in London, calling on users to surrender their smart glasses amid growing concerns over privacy and filming people without consent.
The group launched the campaign on Instagram, using the deliberately provocative term 'pervert glasses' to describe the Ray-Ban Meta devices.
In the caption, Everyone Hates Elon warned: 'wearing pervert glasses MASSIVELY increases the risk of you looking like a nonce 🖐️'
The group then turned the joke into a direct appeal, writing: 'Thankfully for @rayban + @meta we've been installing these amnesty boxes across London so you can hand yours in and restore what's left of your dignity :)'
The accompanying video shows the installation of the boxes, presenting the drop-off points as a tongue-in-cheek way for owners to give up their devices.
'Pervert Glasses' Backlash Spreads
Although Ray-Ban Meta glasses closely resemble conventional frames, they feature built-in cameras, microphones and AI capabilities that allow wearers to take photographs and record video hands-free.
The backlash is already having consequences for influencers who use them. The Guardian reported that content creator Oliver Hooson faced a flood of criticism after posting footage filmed using the glasses at the Tour de France finale. Hooson, who has 224,000 Instagram followers, said he lost around 50 to 100 followers after posting the video and acknowledged concerns about people, particularly women, being recorded without their knowledge.
Other influencers have faced similar criticism. Content creator Rida Tharana, who has 1.6 million Instagram followers, publicly 'took accountability' after participating in a Meta campaign promoting the glasses and criticised men who use the technology to 'record and harass women'.
The controversy has also reached businesses. Pubs, restaurants and theatres across the UK, including Wetherspoons, have reportedly banned the glasses over privacy concerns.
Concerns Over Recording Without Consent
Meta says the glasses feature a flashing LED light designed to alert people when photographs or videos are being captured. The company has also said it is introducing technology that disables the camera if it detects that the LED has been physically tampered with or destroyed.
However, reports of people allegedly being filmed without their knowledge have intensified concerns over how the technology can be misused. The Guardian cited cases involving women who said they had been secretly recorded, while self-described pickup artists have used the glasses to film interactions with women in public without their knowledge.
These incidents have helped fuel the 'pervert glasses' label now being used by campaigners and social media users.
Campaign Offers Legal Route to Object
Everyone Hates Elon is also promoting a companion project that allows members of the public to file a formal legal objection to being captured by Meta's AI-enabled glasses.
Its digital portal provides a web form through which individuals can draft and submit formal notices to Meta challenging the non-consensual capture, processing and storage of their image and other personal data.
The initiative takes the campaign beyond its satirical street stunt, giving people a mechanism to formally register their objections to what the group characterises as AI-driven public surveillance.
The Wider Debate Over Being Recorded
The campaign comes as increasingly discreet wearable technology raises a fundamental question over public privacy: should people have the right to know when their face, voice or presence is being recorded?
For Everyone Hates Elon, the answer is clear. Its London 'amnesty boxes' combine satire with a more serious challenge to how AI-enabled wearables are changing the boundaries of privacy and consent in public spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the activist campaign against Meta's AI-enabled Ray-Ban smart glasses?The campaign involves setting up 'amnesty boxes' outside London Ray-Ban stores, encouraging users to drop off their smart glasses due to privacy concerns.
- Why are people concerned about Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses?Concerns include privacy issues, as the glasses have built-in cameras and microphones that can record people without their knowledge.
- What legal actions can individuals take against being recorded by these glasses?Individuals can file a formal legal objection against being captured on video by Meta's AI-enabled glasses through a dedicated web form.
