Content creators are experiencing a wave of public criticism and audience loss after posting videos filmed with Meta’s smart glasses. The devices, which allow users to record point-of-view footage, have drawn harsh labels from social media users, including being dubbed “spy glasses” or “pervert glasses.”
Oliver Hooson, a content creator with 224,000 Instagram followers, faced immediate backlash after filming a video of himself preparing coffee during the Tour de France finale. Despite the video's benign content, Hooson reported losing between 50 and 100 followers, with commenters calling him a “perv” and accusing him of pushing “creep glasses.” Hooson, who received the glasses at a PR event, admitted that the reaction caught him off guard but expressed support for the public's stance on privacy. He suggested that the term “pervert glasses” serves as a defensive mechanism to limit the sale and usage of the technology, noting that he would rather abandon the device than continue to trigger such negative responses. He emphasized that his intent was to capture a human point-of-view for his morning routine or cycling, which he distinguishes from the malicious use of the devices to record people in public without their knowledge.
The controversy intensified this summer following a promotional campaign featuring Kylie Jenner. Other influencers have since issued apologies, including Rida Tharana, who has 1.6 million Instagram followers. Tharana took accountability for her role in a Meta campaign, explicitly criticizing men who misuse the glasses to record and harass women without consent. Reports indicate that self-described pickup artists have used the devices to film women in public settings without their knowledge, often following up with misogynistic commentary.
Parenting influencer Deena Lang, who has 110,000 followers, also experienced a shift in perspective after using the glasses. Initially viewing them as a helpful gadget for her son, Lang felt “horrified” after reviewing footage from a cooking class and realizing she had captured people giving her “dirty looks.” She shared the video with faces blurred out to act as a “cautionary tale,” leading to a flood of criticism. Lang noted that while the glasses have potential benefits, such as assisting the blind, she believes the “negatives just far outweigh the positives” and has since placed her pair in a drawer. She cited reports of men invading the privacy of dancers in clubs and individuals being recorded during appointments as evidence of the technology's potential for misuse.
Despite the backlash, Meta reported selling 7 million pairs of the glasses in 2025. The company maintains that its design incorporates privacy features, including a small, flashing LED light that activates during recording. A Meta spokesperson stated that the glasses include tamper detection technology, and they are updating the device to disable the camera if the LED is physically compromised. The company emphasized that it designed the product in consultation with safety experts, including women’s safety organizations.
Privacy concerns have led various UK establishments, including Wetherspoons, to ban the devices. The glasses have been linked to several disturbing incidents, including reports of people being filmed without consent during sexual encounters and a case currently under investigation by police in Scotland involving a far-right TikToker who allegedly made sexualized comments to women and discussed a plan to “breed out the white race” while filming them without their knowledge.
His interest in the glasses, which he received at a PR event, was far more innocent. “I saw [chefs at] high-end restaurants filming themselves with the glasses on, showing off their process. It was stupid, poetic and beautiful to watch. I wanted to have a play about and show people the things that I enjoy doing,” he says, adding that it is very hard to capture a point of view (POV) angle otherwise. “It was intended as a simple way of capturing a human POV of my morning coffee routine or my fast cycling descents. I think that’s vastly different from somebody going into the centre of Soho and asking somebody a divisive question and clipping them up for views without their knowledge,” he says.
But, for now, it’s not worth using the glasses. “Would I rather just not have that little fun point-of-view shot for the greater good? Yes, I would definitely get rid of them,” he says.
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Md. Kazi Bijoy is a dedicated tech enthusiast and content creator with a passion for digital innovation. With years of experience in the tech industry, he specializes in breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand guides. When he isn’t writing, he explores the latest gadgets and researches emerging trends in the digital world.