Meta Now Collects More Data From Ray-Bans to Bolster AI

[MacRumors]

Meta this week sent out an email (via The Verge) to Meta Ray-Ban customers informing them about upcoming privacy changes to the smart glasses, which will increase the amount of data that Meta is collecting by default.

Meta says that voice recordings are stored by default when using Meta AI, and used to improve Meta products. Meta has eliminated the option to disable voice recording storage, and recordings need to be manually deleted in settings. Further, the "camera use" setting for Meta AI is now enabled by default.

From Meta's email:

• Meta AI with camera use is always enabled on your glasses unless you turn off "Hey Meta."
• Recordings of your voice are stored by default when using Meta AI and may be used to improve AI at Meta and other Meta products. The option to disable voice recordings storage is no longer available, but you can delete recordings anytime in Settings.
• You're still in control. You can turn off "Hey Meta" or delete Meta AI interactions anytime.

Photos and videos taken with the built-in camera are stored on a connected smartphone and are not used by Meta for training, unless those photos are used by a Meta product. If a photo or video is used with Meta AI, or if cloud processing is turned on and media is sent to Meta's servers, it can be used to improving Meta's services. Of course, uploading images and video to Instagram and other Meta apps also gives Meta the exact same access.

So if you say "Hey Meta, record a video," by default Meta records the voice command and stores the recording and an audio transcript of it, a feature that is now turned on by default and can't be turned off. If cloud processing is also on, or if you ask Meta AI a question about the video, Meta can access and use the video for AI training purposes.

Turning off Meta AI entirely on the Ray-Ban glasses and using manual controls for snapping photos and videos is the best method to ensure that Meta isn't collecting excessive data. More information is available in Meta's privacy policy.

Article Link: Meta Now Collects More Data From Ray-Bans to Bolster AI

 

[Devyn89]

Why anyone would trust Meta with their data after the last 15 years is beyond me.

 

[isomorphic]

So these glasses let you see Meta siphoning off your data more clearly?

 

[Reason077]

If you see anyone wearing these Ray Bans, they’re spying for Zuck!!

 

[noonas_the_mac_head]

Nope - this is looking more and more like a Black Mirror company

 

[Surf760]

Well this sure seems like a violation of California law for those individuals not wearing the glasses that are recorded without their knowledge because they interact with a person wearing a pair of Ray Ban Metas

 

[TechWhisperer]

This is insane!

 

[jayducharme]

Contrast this article with "Meta, Spotify and Match Launch Coalition Against Apple and Google". They're all battling for control of your data.

 

[Killbill2]

The scramble to profit from your surrendered privacy began the moment Zuckerberg launched his empire; this is just the inevitable next step in the ever-evolving art of surveillance capitalism perfected by him, Google, et al.
Über Alles Social Media.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

"If you use our AI, we own you."

Apple's more privacy-geared chatbot can't get here fast enough. But in hopefully not too many years, our chatbot hardware and software will be much more under our individual control, by being our personal possessions, local to us, either in our home or even in our pockets, and we might not have to worry about corporations absconding with our personal data for their own ends.

 

[iZac]

You know how your Photos app gives you little recaps of pictures from events?

Imagine when Facebook just gives you a recap of every single thing you've ever seen.

Ugh, worse still - a dystopia where insurance companies won't insure you for anything unless they get unfiltered access to this stream.

 

[jimimac71]

You can't fool me. Those are Buddy Holly glasses.

 

[JOLoughlin]

The privacy policy wasn’t much better half a year ago when AI came to this product. Got rid of mine soon after because I realized was just hesitant to use it as a result.

 

[Digital Dude]

I truly believe wearables are the future, and it won’t be long before carrying a phone around feels outdated. Granted, I wouldn’t touch anything from Zuckerberg, but I definitely would consider it from practically anyone else. 🤷‍♂️

 

[cjsuk]

If you bought this you deserve what you get. I'm surprised that it even got out of the door it's that abhorrent and disconnected from reality.

 

[dampfnudel]

Anyone thinking of buying these Ray-Ban Meta glasses should reconsider.

 

[mozumder]

There are tech bros out there walking around with these that see no problem with this. Just horrible

 

[Smaugg]

Recordings without prior consent are illegal in many jurisdictions. I wonder is these settings are region-specific.
I have been keeping an eye on these glasses hoping they would provide live transcription of what someone in front of me is saying as I am deaf, but after reading this I am staying the hell clear of them.

 

[Ghost31]

Yeah, I sold my quest three because this is getting really creepy.

 

[Daalseth]

Never…Trust…Zuch

 

[Unity451]

Meta Now ADMITS to Collecting More Data From Ray-Bans to Bolster AI

Fixed it.

 

[QCassidy352]

I truly believe wearables are the future, and it won’t be long before carrying a phone around feels outdated. Granted, I wouldn’t touch anything from Zuckerberg, but I definitely would consider it from practically anyone else. 🤷‍♂️

I guess I’m getting old because I no longer yearn for such technological “advancements.” It seems to me most of us would be better off with tech less integrated into our lives rather than more—I know I would.

 

[jz0309]

this is coming at no surprise at all ... and the trend for genAI to collect more and more personal dats is ever increasing

 

[rgeneral]

We need device that can block them if they are looking

 

[Plutonius]

Meta doesn't need to siphon data to figure out how foolish the Ray-Bans look.

I suppose the Ray-Bans are ok if you are going for the Buddy Holly look .