Meta Faces Billion-Dollar Judgments and Pub Bans Over Smart Glasses
August 8, 2026
As New Mexico courts penalize Meta with half-billion-dollar public nuisance judgments over youth mental health harms, UK hospitality venues and street activists are pushing back against the normalization of non-consensual recording by Ray-Ban wearables. These converging financial penalties and grassroots venue bans expose a widening social rejection of consumer surveillance hardware as tech giants attempt to force ambient capture into public spaces.
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Meta is royally screwing up its smart glasses roll out
We’re leaning in with the playing card metaphor. Across New York City, London, and Washington, DC, ads for Meta's smart glasses have been plastered over with satirical posters from activist groups. One guerrilla ad calls these "the biggest advancement in pervert technology since the trenchcoat." Ano…
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New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567m over harms to children’s mental health
Ruling comes as part of second phase of landmark trial that found social media company enabled harm against users A New Mexico court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to pay $567m for mental health harm to children from its platforms. Judge Bryan Biedscheid said the bulk of the money…
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Could Meta’s ‘pervert glasses’ be banned across the UK? - The Latest
With more than 7m pairs reportedly sold in 2025, Meta’s Ray-Ban smartglasses are fast becoming the world’s most popular new gadget. But while supporters say they are transforming photography and accessibility, others have labelled them ‘pervert glasses’, with some UK pubs and restaurants, including…
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‘I’m not spying’: how Meta’s smartglasses have divided opinion
While some users say the wearables have changed their lives, critics voice fears over safety and privacy With more than 7m pairs reportedly sold in 2025, Meta’s Ray-Ban smartglasses are fast becoming one of the world’s most popular gadgets. While supporters say they are transforming photography and…
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Why I'll never be convinced by Meta's ‘pervert’ glasses | Opinion
'Most people don’t want pervert glasses that can film us without our consent,' said a spokesperson from activist group Everyone Hates Elon. The group has launched a series of guerilla adverts deriding non-consensual filming by the glasses as well as an email campaign encouraging people to legally ob…
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Restaurants, pubs and theatres ban Meta’s ‘spy glasses’ over privacy fears
Meta says safeguards are in place to prevent surreptitious filming, but some UK venues now prohibit them from being worn at all When Meta used superstar Kylie Jenner to promote its sleek new line of “spy glasses”, the social media company hoped the devices would reach the same broad acceptance that…
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Meta ordered to pay an additional $567 million in public nuisance ruling
Meta has been ordered to pay $567 million in the second phase of New Mexico's landmark child safety case, bringing total charges to nearly $1 billion for being a "public nuisance." In a ruling published on Thursday, the Santa Fe district court found that Meta's platforms are a "significant contribut…
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New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567m over harm to youths
The ruling comes in the second phase of a landmark trial, with the Instagram, Facebook owner also losing in March.
- geopolitics
- structural power
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Smart glasses are going mainstream. Do current privacy laws protect us from the risks?
There are now many more people walking the streets in Australia wearing glasses that can subtly film and record the world around them. That’s in large part thanks to Kmart, which recently introduced – and then rapidly sold out of – cheap “camera glasses”. These glasses are from Kmart’s in-house bran…
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Is It Possible to Make Smart Glasses That Aren’t Creepy?
As more big companies invest in glasses that record audio and video and pack AI on board, privacy concerns are only getting louder.