Ray-Ban Meta glasses bug recorded conversations without "Hey, Meta"
Some Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses were recording people's conversations without the wearer knowing, according to Ars Technica. The recordings happened without users saying the prompt phrase ("Hey, Meta"), in a bug that Meta says has been fixed.
This week, some users reported online that their Ray-Ban Metas were recording without their consent. One example is a Reddit user going by Kindly-Audience-137, who said it happened across three Meta Ray-Bans and that the "Respond without Hey Meta" setting was turned off. The user said the Meta AI app "saves audio recordings and text transcripts of these conversations in my conversation history." The user also said they "first noticed this behavior after a recent firmware update."
The same Reddit user wrote: "I believe this deserves a serious technical investigation. Customers should not have to wonder whether their private conversations are being captured when they have not intentionally activated their glasses' AI assistant."
Android Authority reported the discussions on Tuesday. Later that day it published a response from Meta: "This issue has been resolved. People can manage, review, and delete voice logs of their interactions with Meta AI via settings at any time."
Ars Technica says that although Meta's brief message suggests the bug is fixed, the broader privacy problem remains. Meta has not said what caused the glasses to record people without consent, and it has not confirmed whether a faulty update was responsible. How many glasses were affected is also unknown. There are a few reports online, but Android Authority said it was unable to replicate the problem before Meta said it fixed it.
Ars Technica sent Meta a message asking what it is doing to prevent similar bugs and how many devices were affected, and said it would update the article if it hears back. The article argues that even a handful of affected devices is cause for concern. Privacy advocates had already raised widespread concerns about Meta's smart glasses and those from other vendors. Beyond the general unease about new technology that combines a microphone and a camera, Meta's glasses pushed privacy boundaries further with a more inconspicuous look, prompting concern about how easy it could be to secretly record another person.
Key facts
- Some Ray-Ban Meta glasses were reported to record conversations without the "Hey, Meta" prompt phrase being said, in a bug Meta says has been fixed.
- A Reddit user, Kindly-Audience-137, said it happened across three Meta Ray-Bans with the "Respond without Hey Meta" setting off, and that the Meta AI app saved audio and transcripts in conversation history.
- Meta's statement says: "This issue has been resolved." It does not say what caused the bug.
- The number of affected devices is unknown; Android Authority could not replicate the problem before Meta said it was fixed.
- Ars Technica asked Meta how it will prevent similar bugs and how many devices were affected; no answer yet.
Why it matters
The report touches the central fear about camera and microphone glasses: that they record people who have not agreed to it. Privacy advocates had already voiced widespread concerns about Meta's glasses and those of other vendors, and the glasses' inconspicuous look made secret recording seem easier. A bug in which the device records without the wake phrase puts that fear into a concrete case.
Who it affects
Owners of Ray-Ban Meta glasses are the people directly concerned, along with anyone near a wearer whose conversation could be captured. The source does not say how many devices were affected. The one detailed account comes from a Reddit user who reported the problem on three pairs of Meta Ray-Bans.
How to use it
Meta's statement points to a control: people can manage, review and delete voice logs of their interactions with Meta AI via settings at any time. The Reddit user found the unwanted recordings and transcripts in the Meta AI app's conversation history, so that is where the user looked. The source gives no other instructions for checking or protecting a device.
How solid is it
The evidence is thin. The main account is a user post on Reddit, and Android Authority said it was unable to replicate the problem before Meta said it fixed it. Meta confirmed in a short statement that the issue "has been resolved", but it did not say what the issue was or what it changed. The user suggested a recent firmware update as the trigger; Meta has not confirmed that. The article notes only a few reports online.
Risks and caveats
Meta's message suggests the bug is fixed, but the article says the broader privacy problem remains. The cause, the scope and the date of the fix are not established. Meta had not replied to Ars Technica's questions about preventing future bugs and the number of affected devices at the time of writing. The article's view is that even a handful of affected devices is cause for concern.
“This issue has been resolved. People can manage, review, and delete voice logs of their interactions with Meta AI via settings at any time.”
— Meta, in a statement published by Android Authority