Meta's most unsettling lawsuit in recent times will cause you to reconsider its AI smart glasses.

      Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are embroiled in yet another controversy. A Kenyan AI training company named Sama, which partnered with Meta to assist in training its AI, had its contract abruptly ended shortly after employees came forward with serious allegations (via BBC).

      The employees claim they were consistently exposed to explicit content recorded by Meta’s glasses, resulting in over a thousand of them losing their jobs.

      The unsettling footage involved in Meta’s AI training

      Workers at Sama served as data annotators, a position that entails manually labeling video content to instruct Meta’s AI on image interpretation. They also assessed transcripts of conversations with Meta’s AI to ensure the chatbot provided accurate replies.

      What they allegedly did not expect was having to review footage of individuals engaging in sexual acts or using restrooms, all recorded through Meta’s glasses without the knowledge of those being filmed. In one instance, a man’s glasses were left recording in a bedroom, capturing his wife getting undressed.

      Though Meta’s glasses feature a small indicator light that illuminates when the camera is in use, this has evidently not deterred misuse. The company acknowledged that contracted workers might occasionally review content shared with Meta AI, presenting it as standard procedure for enhancing user experience.

      What led Meta to terminate the contract?

      Fewer than two months after these accounts emerged, Meta ended its contract with Sama, leaving 1,108 workers unemployed. Sama asserts that it complied with all of Meta’s requirements and was never informed otherwise. However, Meta contends that Sama did not meet its expectations.

      A Kenyan workers’ organization believes the real motive behind the termination was to silence employees who disclosed information about the human review of footage from smart glasses.

      The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office characterized the situation as “concerning” in a letter to Meta. Furthermore, Kenya’s data protection authority has initiated a formal investigation.

      This is not Sama’s first challenging experience with Meta. A previous contract involving Facebook content moderation ended in similar controversy, with former employees recounting their exposure to distressing content.

      Sama later expressed regret over taking on that work. With regulators now investigating and a legal case underway, Meta faces increasing pressure to clarify its decision.

      Meta's smart glasses face significant privacy issues

      Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

      Meta’s smart glasses are becoming increasingly controversial, as reports indicate they may soon be capable of identifying individuals in real time. This has heightened concerns regarding privacy and civil rights related to facial recognition in public settings.

      Civil rights organizations are pushing back against this idea, pointing out that constant identification could occur without explicit consent.

      In response to these concerns, apps such as Godsend are emerging, alerting individuals when nearby smart glasses may be recording them without their knowledge. This reflects growing discomfort among people about being filmed without their consent.

      The technology is also facing criticisms, including reports of students using smart glasses to cheat on exams, adding another dimension to the misuse debate.

      On a positive note, the glasses have proven beneficial in certain scenarios, particularly in assisting visually impaired individuals in navigating spaces with help from bystanders.