Meta faces US class action lawsuit over Ray-Ban AI glasses privacy concerns

Meta’s AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses have been under scrutiny over privacy concerns. Reportedly, the videos and images captured by users are allegedly being reviewed by human contractors to train the AI system. 

The investigation by the Swedish newspaper has triggered a formal regulatory action and a US class action lawsuit, as authorities are demanding accountability from Meta over its AI glasses data practices.

Meta is now facing legal action in the United States, with plaintiffs Gina Bartone of New Jersey and Mateo Canu of California filing a complaint through the Clarkson Law Firm, alleging the company violated privacy laws and misled consumers through false advertising. 

The lawsuit highlights that the Meta AI smart glasses are advertised saying “designed for privacy, controlled by you,” and “built for your privacy,” which does not reveal the full reality of how user data is actually handled and that the company misled consumers about how the glasses work.

The filed complaint states that, “Meta chose to make privacy the centrepiece of its pervasive marketing campaign while concealing the facts that reveal those promises to be false.” Alongside Meta, the lawsuit also targetsLuxottica of America, its glasses manufacturing partner, for violating consumer protection laws.

The legal action comes post Swedish media investigations revealing that employees at a Kenya-based subcontractor, “Sama,” were reviewing footage captured by the glasses. The reports allege that some of the material reviewed included deeply sensitive content, including nudity, sexual activity, and footage of people in private moments.

As per a BBC report, Meta has stated that the company used AI to blur faces in the videos and images. Although the workers claimed the blurring technology was not quite reliable.

Alongside a class action lawsuit in the US, Meta has also attracted regulatory scrutiny in the UK. The Information Commissioner’s Office in the country has tasked an immediate investigation and has asked for an “urgent clarification” from Meta.