Workers report watching Ray-Ban Meta-shot footage of people using the bathroom
Source: Hacker News
Meta accused of “concealing the facts” about smart‑glass users’ privacy
Credit: Meta
Meta’s approach to user privacy is under renewed scrutiny following a Swedish report that employees of a Meta subcontractor have watched footage captured by Ray‑Ban Meta smart glasses showing sensitive user content.
The workers reportedly work for Kenya‑headquartered Sama and provide data annotation for Ray‑Ban Meta glasses.
The February report – a collaboration between Swedish newspapers Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs‑Posten and Kenya‑based freelance journalist Naipanoi Lepapa – is, per a machine translation, based on interviews with over 30 employees at various levels of Sama, including several people who work with video, image, and speech annotation for Meta’s AI systems. Some interviewees have worked on projects other than Meta’s smart glasses. The report’s authors said they did not gain access to the materials that Sama workers handle or the area where workers perform data annotation. The report also includes interviews with former U.S. Meta employees who have reportedly witnessed live data annotation for several Meta projects.
The report points to, per the translation, a “stream of privacy‑sensitive data that is fed straight into the tech giant’s systems,” which makes Sama workers uncomfortable. Several interviewees said they have seen footage shot with Ray‑Ban Meta smart glasses that shows people having sex and using the bathroom.
“I saw a video where a man puts the glasses on the bedside table and leaves the room. Shortly afterwards, his wife comes in and changes her clothes,” an anonymous Sama employee reportedly said.
“Another anonymous employee said that they have seen users’ partners come out of the bathroom naked.”
“You understand that it is someone’s private life you are looking at, but at the same time you are just expected to carry out the work,” an anonymous Sama employee reportedly said.
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Meta Confirms Use of Data Annotators
In statements shared with the BBC on Wednesday, Meta confirmed that it sometimes shares content users provide to the Meta AI generative chatbot with contractors for review “with the purpose of improving people’s experience, as many other companies do.”
“This data is first filtered to protect people’s privacy,” the statement added, citing examples such as blurring faces in images.
Privacy policy for wearables
Meta’s privacy policy for wearables states that photos and videos taken with its smart glasses are sent to Meta when:
- you turn on cloud processing on your AI Glasses,
- you interact with the Meta AI service on your AI Glasses, or
- you upload media to certain Meta services (e.g., Facebook or Instagram).
You can change your cloud‑processing preferences at any time in Settings.
The policy also notes that video and audio from livestreams recorded with Ray‑Ban Meta glasses, as well as text transcripts and voice recordings created by Meta’s chatbot, are sent to Meta.
“We use machine‑learning and trained reviewers to process this data to improve, troubleshoot, and train our products. We share that information with third‑party vendors and service providers to improve our products. You can access and delete recordings and related transcripts in the Meta AI App,” the policy says.
Meta AI chatbot broader policy
Meta’s broader AI terms & privacy policy adds:
“In some cases, Meta will review your interactions with AIs, including the content of your conversations with or messages to AIs, and this review may be automated or manual (human).”
The same policy warns users not to share information they don’t want the AIs to use or retain, especially on sensitive topics.
“When information is shared with AIs, the AIs will sometimes retain and use that information,” the Meta AI privacy policy states.
Notable incidents
- August 2023 – Meta enabled “Meta AI with camera” by default until a user disabled the “Hey Meta” voice command.
- Meta spokesperson Albert Aydin told The Verge that “photos and videos captured on Ray‑Ban Meta are on your phone’s camera roll and not used by Meta for training.”
- Some Ray‑Ban Meta users may not have read or understood the numerous privacy policies linked to the glasses.
- Reports from Sama employees suggested that owners might be unaware the devices sometimes record, citing examples such as users inadvertently capturing bank cards or adult content.
Recording indicator concerns
Ray‑Ban Meta glasses flash a red light when recording video or taking a photo. Critics argue that:
- People may not notice the light, or
- They may misinterpret its meaning.
“We see everything, from living rooms to naked bodies. Meta has that type of content in its databases. People can record themselves in the wrong way and not even know what they are recording,” an anonymous employee was quoted as saying.
When contacted by Ars Technica, a Sama representative declined to comment on specific client relationships but emphasized that the company is GDPR and CCPA compliant and follows “rigorously audited policies and procedures designed to protect all customer information, including personally identifiable information.”
Saama’s statement
“This work is conducted in secure, access‑controlled facilities. Personal devices are not permitted on production floors, and all team members undergo background checks and receive ongoing training in data protection, confidentiality, and responsible AI practices. Our teams receive living wages and full benefits, and have access to comprehensive wellness resources and on‑site support.”
Meta sued
The Swedish report has reignited concerns about the privacy of Meta’s smart glasses, including from the Information Commissioner’s Office, a UK data watchdog that has written to Meta about the report. The debate also comes as Meta is reportedly planning to add facial recognition to its Ray‑Ban and Oakley‑branded smart glasses “as soon as this year,” per a February report from The New York Times citing anonymous people “involved with the plans.”
The claims have also led to a proposed class‑action lawsuit (see the PDF filing) filed yesterday against Meta and Luxottica of America, a subsidiary of Ray‑Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica. The lawsuit challenges Meta’s slogan for the glasses—“designed for privacy, controlled by you”—stating:
No reasonable consumer would understand “designed for privacy, controlled by you” and similar promises like “built for your privacy” to mean that deeply personal footage from inside their homes would be viewed and catalogued by human workers overseas. Meta chose to make privacy the centerpiece of its pervasive marketing campaign while concealing the facts that reveal those promises to be false.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta has broken state consumer‑protection laws and seeks damages, punitive penalties, and an injunction requiring Meta to change business practices “to prevent or mitigate the risk of consumer deception and violations of law.”
Ars Technica reached out to Meta for comment but didn’t hear back before publication. Meta has declined to comment on the lawsuit to other outlets.
Author
Scharon Harding – Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica. She writes news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. Scharon has been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Tom’s Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK.
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