Amazon and Meta face privacy concerns over always-listening AI wearables
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Meta fixed a Ray-Ban glasses bug that recorded without a wake phrase in the same week Amazon launched two Bee devices that capture conversations
Amazon and Meta are facing renewed privacy concerns over AI wearables that listen to their users’ surroundings, after Meta fixed a bug that caused its Ray-Ban smart glasses to record without a wake phrase and Amazon launched two always-listening Bee devices, Bloomberg reported on October 20.
Ray-Ban Meta owners reported on Reddit that their glasses had activated Meta AI and recorded audio without being prompted. “This issue has been resolved,” Meta said in a statement, adding that users can review and delete voice logs of their Meta AI interactions in settings, 9to5Google reported. The company has not disclosed what caused the problem.
Amazon’s Bee devices record conversations by default
Amazon launched the Bee Frontier, a $74.99 bracelet that can also clip to clothing, and the Bee Eclipse, a magnetic wearable for MagSafe-compatible phones starting at $99.99, on October 15, according to 9to5Google. Both devices are always listening, with an LED indicator, and use AI to turn captured conversations into reminders and notes, with integration into Alexa+ and Amazon’s store.
The launches come as Meta faces a class-action lawsuit, filed in March, alleging that footage recorded on its smart glasses was shared with contractors in Kenya for review. Legal experts have also warned that always-listening devices could run afoul of state wiretap laws that require consent from everyone in a conversation.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Diego Almada Lopez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
