Some Ray-Ban Meta glasses recorded talks without wake word, owners say
Some Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses saved recordings of everyday talks even though no one said "Hey Meta," owners say, Android Authority and Ars Technica reported. Meta said in a statement to Android Authority that the issue "has been resolved." It has not said what caused the bug or how many glasses were hit.
Some owners of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses say their glasses saved audio recordings and transcripts of everyday conversations without the "Hey Meta" wake phrase, Android Authority and Ars Technica reported. Meta says the problem has been fixed, according to a statement it gave Android Authority.
One owner said on Reddit that it happened on three separate pairs of the glasses, Android Authority and Ars Technica reported. The recordings showed up in the Meta AI app even though the owner had turned off a setting that lets the glasses respond without the wake phrase, Android Authority reported. The owner said it began after a recent firmware update, Android Authority and Ars Technica reported. Several other users reported similar activations, Android Authority reported.
"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 said in a statement to Android Authority. 9to5Google, citing Android Authority, also reported Meta's statement.
Meta has not said what caused the bug or whether an update was to blame, Ars Technica reported. It is also not known how many glasses were affected, Ars Technica reported. Android Authority said it could not reproduce the problem and had seen no evidence that it was widespread. Ars Technica said it had asked Meta how many devices were affected and what it is doing to prevent similar bugs.
The glasses' indicator light still turned on during the recordings, Ars Technica and 9to5Google reported. But the bug shows the glasses can record by mistake even with the light on, Ars Technica reported. In August, Meta updated the glasses so they will not record if the light is covered, Ars Technica reported.
Meta's smart glasses have faced privacy concerns, Ars Technica reported. Contract workers in Kenya have said they reviewed footage that wearers seemed not to know they had recorded, Ars Technica reported. That report led to a proposed class-action lawsuit and an investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Ars Technica reported.
What we know: Some owners say their glasses recorded without the wake phrase, and Meta says the issue is resolved.
What we don't: What caused it, how many glasses were affected, and what happened to the recordings.
Where outlets agree Android Authority and Ars Technica both report that some Ray-Ban Meta owners found recordings made without the "Hey Meta" wake phrase.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.