Ray-Ban Meta Users Report Unwanted Recordings as Meta Says Issue Is Resolved
Ray-Ban Meta users say the glasses saved audio and transcripts without the wake command. Meta says the issue is resolved but has not explained the cause.
A Ray-Ban Meta owner wrote on Reddit that they found audio conversations and text transcripts saved by the glasses that were never requested and were not associated with a “Hey Meta” command. The user said the behavior occurred on three different pairs of the glasses, including second- and third-generation models. Other people in the Reddit thread said they had seen the same behavior on their own Ray-Ban Metas, according to TechRadar.
Meta responded to Android Authority without providing much detail, saying the issue “has been resolved.” TechRadar said it had reached out to Meta for further comment and would update its article if the company responded.
Owners of the smart glasses can check voice recording activity by opening the Meta AI app on their phone, selecting Glasses > Device settings, tapping the name of their glasses, and then choosing Glasses privacy > Voice activity log. Recordings can be deleted from that screen, but the process does not stop them from being captured in the first place. In theory, recordings should only be made when a user says “Hey Meta” or activates the AI with a button push.
The associated privacy notice mentions that voice services can be “inadvertently” activated, which may be what happened here, according to TechRadar. It also says some recordings may be reviewed by Meta staff to “help improve Meta's voice services.”
Some Redditors have turned off voice activation for the integrated AI, a setting available on the same device settings screen in the Meta AI app. TechRadar reported that this is an inconvenience users should not have to put up with to stop the recordings.