Meta leak points to camera-free smart glasses as 'ZuckOff' detection app draws thousands of downloads
The Information reports Meta is readying camera-free smart glasses, codenamed Luna, possibly to be unveiled at Meta Connect on September 23 and 24. In the same week, Wired reports that an app called ZuckOff, which scans for nearby Meta glasses via Bluetooth, has been downloaded several thousand times.
The report, covered by TechRadar, says the glasses could be unveiled at Meta Connect on September 23 and 24. Without a camera on board, the product's emphasis falls on audio: wearers would hold conversations with Meta's own AI chatbot.
Meta's existing smart glasses carry LED lights that signal when they are recording. Modders found ways around those indicators to capture video and photos covertly; the workarounds have since been disabled and blocked by software updates, though the episode left many users uneasy about the wearables.
Wired reports that an app named ZuckOff, a swipe at Meta's chief executive in its title, alerts users when they may be near someone wearing Meta glasses. It uses Bluetooth to scan the surrounding area for the devices. The app has several thousand downloads across Android and iOS. It is free in its basic form, with a pro version at $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$14.99 a year that scans continuously and stores scan histories.
Android users have another option: Nearby Glasses is open source, free and performs a similar function without the provocative name. That app has passed 100,000 downloads.
Perceptions of camera-equipped glasses have shifted even though the products have been on the market for years and carry warning lights. Talk of bans and government regulation has also emerged, and Meta may be trying to get ahead of that with its next pair of glasses, according to TechRadar.