US Police Worried Meta Smart Glasses Are Recording Them

Police forces across the United States are getting nervous about a pair of sunglasses. According to a dozen internal memos obtained by the Guardian, law enforcement agencies are warning each other that Meta's camera-equipped glasses could be used to secretly record inside jails and police facilities.

Here's what these glasses actually are: Ray-Ban Meta glasses look like normal sunglasses but have a tiny hidden camera built in. They are made by Meta (the company that owns Facebook and Instagram). A small light blinks when they are recording — but that light is the only clue that filming is happening.

The concerns come from several official sources:

• The NYPD (New York City police) called the glasses a "security and counterintelligence threat" and told officers to inspect all eyewear before letting it into inmate cells.
• Maine's fusion center (a state office that shares security information between agencies) warned the glasses could use facial recognition — AI software that identifies people's faces — to "dox" officers, meaning expose their private personal details online.
• ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has banned its own staff from wearing the glasses at work, treating them like body cameras.

The worry started after real videos surfaced. One posted on TikTok in July 2025 showed the inside of a South Carolina detention center, filming cells, dining areas, and detainees who had no idea they were being recorded. "People don't know about Meta glasses," the wearer said.

Not everyone thinks the police complaints are fair. Ryan Shapiro, from a transparency group that obtained the memos, argued that authorities constantly film the public but object the moment cameras are pointed back at them. "When only the government is allowed to hold the camera, that's not security. It's impunity," he said.

Meta responded that the glasses "are designed to be noticed," pointing to the blinking recording light. But the South Carolina video suggests that light doesn't always tip people off.

The bottom line: As tiny cameras become harder to spot, the debate over who gets to record whom is only heating up — and now the watchers are worried about being watched.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://decrypt.co/377675/us-police-fear-meta-glasses-are-watching-them-back-report