'Pervert glasses': Backlash against Meta's smart glasses grows

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/pervert-glasses-backlash-against-metas-smart-glasses-grows/

41•ynac•1h ago

Comments

miladyincontrol•33m ago

I do think its a bit odd to automatically and "obviously" default to the idea that people will be using these to be perverts. Its a bit strange of a default assumption to me.

Although its even more disheartening that most people's reactions to just about anything these days is dread about how it'll make their lives worse without fail.

Octoth0rpe•22m ago

> Its a bit strange of a default assumption to me.

What is _your_ default assumption re: use case? I honestly can't think of any use cases (outside of very niche a11y uses) that are not in some way offensive, though perhaps not 'perverted'.

This product is absolutely toxic, and I can't imagine myself or anyone I know being willing to associate or socialize with someone wearing them (again, excluding some very specific a11y use).

AtlanticThird•19m ago

My assumption about the default use case is that people want to take normal pictures. For example, I wear them to sporting events, and it's a lot faster to take a picture of the action with my Meta glasses than with my iPhone.

whoamii•16m ago

What was your assumption about social media ca. 2010?

Octoth0rpe•15m ago

It's very hard to imagine this being a better photo than one taken on a modern phone.

Also, I really, really hope you take them off when using the shared bathrooms at such an event. And you know, keep them off. Permanently.

Windchaser•11m ago

> What is _your_ default assumption re: use case? I honestly can't think of any use cases (outside of very niche a11y uses) that are not in some way offensive, though perhaps not 'perverted'.

Hmm, here's a few that could potentially be implemented in augmented glasses, though I have no idea if they're implemented yet:

- Giving me directions via an overlay when I'm walking around without requiring me to pull out my phone

- overlay of a recipe when I'm cooking something new - pointing out constellations in the night sky

- reminding me of people's names and/or upcoming plans with them

- price comparisons in grocery stores; the glasses read the prices and tell you how they compare to prices in other nearby stores

- (at the gym) correcting someone's form on weightlifting, with visual overlays

- taking pictures in general

- easy recording of ICE or police

tetromino_•11m ago

> I honestly can't think of any use cases (outside of very niche a11y uses) that are not in some way offensive, though perhaps not 'perverted'.

Obvious non-perverted use cases:

* HUD when your hands are occupied - biking, cooking, etc.

* Camera-augmented navigation directions, especially indoors

* Shopping, price comparison

* Tourism, museum visits - automatically surfacing information about historical landmarks or artworks.

I would have loved to have smart glasses for these reasons, but unfortunately, the perverts ruined it for the rest of us and made the product category toxic.

wombat-man•20m ago

I hope one of these companies pulls off a compelling set of glasses with a display and no camera.

yoyohello13•17m ago

Tech is so frustrating in real life. I feel like we have all the cool sci fi stuff I always wanted, but everything comes with a monkey's paw style gotcha. The idea of meta glasses is so awesome, I want a heads up display to show me whatever I want. But there is no way in hell I would use them because the company that makes it can’t be trusted.

Octoth0rpe•13m ago

> I would use them because the company that makes it can’t be trusted.

I think this gets at only half of the problem. Not only can meta not be trusted, even if I trust _you_ if you were friend, I wouldn't trust any _other_ random user of such a product. As such, better to not have such a product around.

zamadatix•10m ago

The glasses & software could have come from the Linux Foundation & the same concerns from people would remain.

daheza•8m ago

After covid I forgot the names of coworkers, I'm really bad at remembering them. Having something that could just show me peoples names would be nice. Maybe I'm just a bad person for not remembering them and it could be a nice challenge to my existing social behaviors to ask again. I wouldn't trust meta enough to use these glasses, I dont even use instragram.

peter_d_sherman•15m ago

>"Some people are using the glasses — which look like a pair of regular spectacles — to record people without their knowledge and publish the videos on social media.

The users secretly videotape and share what happens when they try to pick up women. Now, a growing number of people are worried they could be covertly recorded at the gym..."

Observation: The same technology could be used to record business deals, job interviews and other negotiations with consent of the counterparty... In fact, both parties in such transactions could record this way (legally and ethically!) if each has consent of the other...

daheza•12m ago

I wonder if there should be a provision in the ISO 27001 about not allowing these smart glasses into the workplace

ChrisArchitect•12m ago

Earlier: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49240828

hallway_monitor•9m ago

I agree with the verbiage if not with the sentiment. These are a perversion of technology. People hold their phones up for entire songs at a concert instead of being absorbed in the experience. Removing friction from recording will multiply digital hoarding behavior no matter what other risks are at play. There is a balance there; it's nice to be reminded of experiences. But where is the line?

aqme28•5m ago

I was trying to brainstorm ways to make these palatable to general society. Because I think this kind of thing is going to happen, but a lot of people (myself included) have a legitimate problem with surreptitious recordings.

It needs a "recording" light when it is recording. But creeps will just disable the recording light with e.g. a sticker.

Idea: What if the recording light embeds a little IR signal, and if the camera recording doesn't pick up that signal, it stops working

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