this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2023
633 points (92.6% liked)

Technology

60041 readers
2371 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Meta sparks privacy fears after unveiling $299 Smart Glasses with hidden cameras: ‘You can now film everyone without them knowing’::These stylish shades may look like a regular pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers, but they're actually Meta's new Smart Glasses, complete with two tiny cameras and speakers implanted in the arms. The wearable tech was unveiled by Mark Zuckerberg Wednesday at the 2023 Meta Connect conference in Menlo Park, California, sparking a frenzy online.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] bernieecclestoned@sh.itjust.works 131 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

I remember when Google glasses came out, people got assaulted for wearing them

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/san-francisco-woman-says-she-was-attacked-for-wearing-google-glass/

Her Facebook post 💀

“OMG so you’ll never believe this but… I got verbally and physically assaulted and robbed last night in the city, had things thrown at me because of some ---- Google Glass haters,” Slocum posted to Facebook.

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 65 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Several bars in my city banned people wearing them.

[–] briongloid@aussie.zone 22 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Venues will just need to implement infrared checks at the door.

[–] bernieecclestoned@sh.itjust.works 15 points 1 year ago (6 children)

A simple solution would be to have a red led that displays when recording like video cameras

[–] plz1@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The fix for that is a Sharpie or electrical tape, like all other LED's you want to hide.

[–] bernieecclestoned@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 year ago (3 children)

IANAL

Aren't there laws about being recorded without permission?

Any evidence gained by illegal means is inadmissible?

[–] Kage520@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Depends on where you are I think

[–] Natanael@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 year ago

It's usually just submitting evidence collected illegally by state agencies that's prohibited

[–] erwan@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago

The Meta smart glasses have a LED, and they claim to detect when it's covered and asked the user to clear it (not activating the camera) when it's the case.

But honestly, there are already devices to record people without their consent. Just go to AliExpress and you'll find devices that don't even bother adding a LED (because the whole point of the device is stealth filming).

[–] DaisyLee@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

They have lights that pulse around each of the cameras when turned on. Seems like a good enough indicator to me

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago

Next up: a bunch of facebook.posts on how to kill the recording.lights without damaging the glasses...

[–] YeetPics@mander.xyz 2 points 1 year ago

You mean the 'off' light?

[–] tempest@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago

Pretty sure these have that

[–] nightwatch_admin@feddit.nl 22 points 1 year ago (5 children)

The trick is now you can’t tell. Should it be illegal? Heck yes. Will it? “Hmm … technology, so important … innovation.. privacy is dead anyway …. terrorism prevention.. “

[–] meco03211@lemmy.world 40 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Should it be illegal?

In the US, it's been long held people do not have the "expectation of privacy" while out in public. One of the major issues that you've kinda touched on is how would it be enforced? So are you opposed to all forms of recording? Or is this more focused on a corporation potentially gathering data on people just by being in public where someone is wearing these?

[–] ram@bookwormstory.social 13 points 1 year ago (4 children)

IMO expectation of privacy is valid, but I believe people should also have the right to reasonably know if they're being recorded. Recording people in public's one thing if you have your phone out and are waving it around pointing it at people, but it's a whole other thing if it's a concealed or otherwise hidden recording device.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ring doorbells, and the like, are everywhere. Hell, I had a bear cruise in the dog door a couple of years ago. Neighbors produced security cam pics and I had no clue they had cameras!

At this point, we might as well assume we're being recorded the moment we step out our front door.

[–] ram@bookwormstory.social 2 points 1 year ago

Ah true, I totally forgot about those.

God I don't like our current timeline 😔

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's only valid in private venues. We don't know when were being recorded now and have not really known for decades. This isn't going to change anything on that front.

But something to detect their emissions etc in private venues would be a good idea. That or deployable jamming for Bluetooth and WiFi etc on site.

[–] ram@bookwormstory.social 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It’s only valid in private venues. We don’t know when were being recorded now and have not really known for decades. This isn’t going to change anything on that front.

Ya, and I think that's something that should change. I should have the right to, within reason, be able to know I'm being recorded at any time.

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

It would be a nice to have. But there is no realistic way to do that. It is an unreasonable request. At any point in time when you are outside you are being observed by any number of satellites. Through any number of windows. From all number of arbitrary distances. You may as well request omniscience. Since you have an equal chance of obtaining it.

[–] Kalkaline@leminal.space 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I just kind of assume my phone is going to give out more information than a camera ever could, so the very least those companies can do is give me access to that data.

[–] AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 year ago

There's a difference between "on apple's servers" and "a million people harassing you after being pulled into a Livestream against your will" though.

Both are bad, one is worse.

[–] AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 year ago

I think we're getting to the point where "expectation of privacy" and "expectation of not being uploaded" need to be separated.

I fully agree with the idea that there should be no expectation of privacy in public, but I also don't think filming some random person and posting them online should be carte blanche allowed.

[–] HughJanus@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago

In the US, it's been long held people do not have the "expectation of privacy" while out in public.

At the time it made sense. But laws need to change with the times. In the future you'll have people wearing these shitty glasses with cameras all around you all day every day cataloging your movements and entering them into giant corporate data centers. Something needs to change.

[–] khepri@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Legally speaking, you pretty much consent to being recorded when you step outside your own private space as far as I know.

[–] p03locke@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 year ago

Also in the US, there has been this bizarre expectation that "if it's illegal, it will go away", which is how we have this shitty War on (some) Drugs, "assault" "weapon" bans, and people thinking that we have to completely outlaw AI.

The tech is here. It's going to be legal. We just have to figure out how to deal with it.

[–] dependencyInjection@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why should it be illegal?

It’s perfectly legal to photograph strangers in public. You’re in public you have no reasonable expectation of privacy.

I don’t see people assaulting CCTV cameras for instance.

Sure some weirdos might I use it for nefarious reasons but if it didn’t exist they would still be weirdos using something else.

[–] GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

People wear their glasses everywhere, including a variety of places where there is an expectation of privacy or where it is otherwise prohibited to record. Places where you would not be allowed to hold up your phone or camera and take photos.

The introduction of tech that makes it impossible to distinguish between someone minding their own business and someone recording you demands a change to the legal framework. It doesn't make sense to hold to laws that were written for an entirely different scenario.

I don’t see people assaulting CCTV cameras for instance

I've seen that fairly often, particularly around political protests, and I've never seen a CCTV camera in a public bathroom, locker room, etc.

This tech is an inevitability and the potential legitimate uses are too valuable to ban it outright. But that doesn't mean it should be treated exactly like a highly-visible camera or cell phone.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

People wear their glasses everywhere, including a variety of places where there is an expectation of privacy or where it is otherwise prohibited to record.

VERY solid point.

The introduction of tech that makes it impossible to distinguish between someone minding their own business and someone recording you

This isn't new tech though. I can record on the down-low now and have been able to for some time.

People attacking Glasses users are ignorant of this fact.

[–] tabular@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Primate bionic eye implants exist. Consider a future where they are good and look exactly like regular eyes.

[–] thehatfox@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

How would banning these be enforceable though? They are only going to get more discreet, they will eventually appear completely indistinguishable from regular glasses.

There are certain ways to detect cameras, such as monitoring for infrared, but that would not work for all camera tech and could be hard to triangulate to exact people in crowded areas. There are also ways to detect electronic devices on a person but doing so could quickly become just as invasive in other ways.

[–] CoderKat@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

You don't need the ban to be perfect. Especially if you go after manufacturers, not users. Make it harder for people to do uncouth things. Accessibility is a huge driver of people using things. You might not be able to stop everyone, but you can stop the majority of people.

[–] GbyBE@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 year ago

Thermal cameras are surprisingly good at detecting things that use power. Defeat the camera with another camera 😉

[–] XTornado@lemmy.ml 0 points 1 year ago

Why should be illegal!?

[–] elbarto777@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I think some cameras will "pop out" on your screen if you take a picture of them, right?

What a shitty future ahead of us. "Why are you taking a picture of me?!" "Because you're wearing some suspicious glasses and I want to make sure that you are not recording me. Yup. There they are."

Edit: well, after seeing some pictures, you can still tell that the cameras are there. But you have to be looking for them, which is still shitty.

[–] takeda@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's only if it sends infrared signal (for example it has night vision). I don't think anything will show up with these.

[–] elbarto777@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Oh... oh, well.

[–] realitista@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What will be the new name for Glassholes in the Meta era?

[–] HughJanus@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago

Boiled the frog too quickly