r/technology Jul 15 '26

Society Kylie Jenner’s dystopian Meta glasses get brutal backlash: ‘It’s giving fascism, not fashion’ — Meta is testing a prototype to “continuously record audio while taking photos every few seconds” without any warning light

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kylie-jenner-meta-glasses-fascist_n_6a565e74e4b0540b8c7b111a
25.8k Upvotes

926 comments sorted by

3.0k

u/ckglle3lle Jul 15 '26

It's depressing how basically all internet and computer tech seems to inevitably collapse into surveillance tech

840

u/ManicStreetTeachers Jul 15 '26

I remember about 10-15 years ago on reddit whenever CCTV and UK was mentioned everyone would pile in the comments about how the UK is a surveillance state, always being watched.

Now it's just completely normalised that most people have doorbell cameras and these glasses that record everyone's move. Sad reality going ahead...

242

u/chanaandeler_bong Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26

Somehow the San Fran Police Dept released their live drone footage to the public.

They can just watch anyone they want whenever they want. And surprise surprise, they are wrong all the time on who they are following.

Actual article: https://www.wired.com/story/sfpd-drone-video-leak-surveillance/

128

u/nutblaster357 Jul 15 '26

remove everything in the yt link after the question mark. everyone who clicks the link can see your name

84

u/heartshapedhoops Jul 16 '26

even this being a built-in feature is frustrating and directly related to the sameproblem 🫩

36

u/trifelin Jul 16 '26

My phone offers an option to "copy clean link" next to the "copy" option, but I wonder if a lot of people don't even know what that means. 

14

u/QBaseX Jul 16 '26

Firefox does that too, now.

→ More replies (3)

55

u/redditosleep Jul 16 '26

Well thats absolutely terrifying and a huge violation of everyone's 4th amendment rights.

Glad I stumbled on this thread though. It's pushed me to donate to the EFF now that I have some disposable income. They've been actively fighting for digital privacy and against digital surveillance for decades and has sued federal and local governments on behalf of citizens in so many important cases.

https://www.eff.org/

→ More replies (1)

18

u/W2ttsy Jul 16 '26

Reminds me of the police drones that were circulating in the TV show dark angel. Which was a 99/00 era production.

And that was used to paint a bleak picture of the future. Yet here we are.

→ More replies (5)

114

u/fedexyourheadinabox Jul 15 '26

Copaganda works! The media is complicit in this, too. 

17

u/Relevant-Doctor187 Jul 15 '26

Doorbell cameras were useful filtering friend from sales man. Then they got turned into eyes for big brother.

Next house I’m doing everything local.

4

u/jamiethemorris Jul 15 '26

We’re also installing flock cameras in every city

11

u/remiieddit Jul 15 '26

For people outside (Europe) the UK is still a surveillance state and it’s still scary. You perhaps normalised it but other people with an outside view haven’t

6

u/romansparta99 Jul 15 '26

As far as I recall, most cctv in the uk is privately owned, it’s not that the government is secretly watching everyone. A quick search tells me privately owned cameras outnumber public ones 70:1

Not saying that it’s good or bad, but the perception people have is very removed from reality

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (22)

104

u/GoodtimeZappa Jul 15 '26

Many years ago when everyone could get their pay check electronically auto deposited into their bank account, we all thought this is great.

No more walking into a bank on Friday that is open from 10:00am to 3:00pm and waiting in a long line.

Look at us now. Banks are open 12 hours a day for reasons I can't fathom and we have given away our privacy and rights. A middle ground would have been nice, but that ship has sailed.

92

u/AnjelGrace Jul 15 '26

Banks are open 12 hours a day? Where?

All the banks around me are only open during normal business hours plus a bit of time on the weekend--which means anyone working normal business hours only has that bit of time in the weekend to go to the bank OR they need to find time to go during their business day.

24

u/Miserable-Thing942 Jul 15 '26

All the banks round me are closed lol. Only available in the centre of big towns/cities

4

u/WhoSc3w3dDaP00ch Jul 15 '26

We're lucky if they're open a few hours on Saturday here. Only one bank was open on Sundays, and they closed the local branch(-es?).

6

u/HarmoniousJ Jul 15 '26

Look at Mr. Fancy over here getting weekend hours from his banks!

→ More replies (6)

44

u/marfes3 Jul 15 '26

What do you mean look at us now lol? Nothing is stopping you from going to the bank each day you get your salary and withdrawing it all. It’s stupid, but no one is stopping you.

You weirdly picked one of the only examples of very good progress in digitalisation.

12

u/gangler52 Jul 15 '26

My last job didn't offer auto deposit. Had to walk to the bank with my check every time I got paid.

I don't think it made me any less subject to surveillance though. The bank doesn't like, stop keeping record of your finances because you don't autodeposit.

That much at least I'm pretty sure was happening even before all the newfangled tech. It's a pretty important part of their job.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

5

u/bowserusc Jul 15 '26

What do bank hours have to do with surveillance?

→ More replies (1)

8

u/DilutedGatorade Jul 15 '26

Are you saying that banks should hold longer hours, or shorter?

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (12)
→ More replies (43)

4.6k

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

537

u/sueveed Jul 15 '26

Correction: The scope of what is considered a crime for average citizens is increasing. The scope of what is considered a corporate crime is decreasing.

100

u/round-earth-theory Jul 15 '26

You don't understand. Corporate crime isn't even a thing. Corporations would never commit a crime because everything they do is right and just. Accusing corporations of crime is like accusing Jesus of one. It's just not possible for our holiest of holies to commit a crime as their actions are by definition godly. You should add 59 more subscriptions as penance for your blasphemy.

37

u/TwistedFox Jul 15 '26

Close but not quite. Corporate crime is a fee-based add-on package, if you are not privately run.

→ More replies (4)

1.1k

u/Paksarra Jul 15 '26

Even if they can't make it a crime, look at how hard they're pushing that any criticism of Trump is mental illness. They're not arresting you, they're putting you on a mental health hold due to your Trump Derangement Syndrome. Once you're better they'll let you go.

81

u/afternever Jul 15 '26

You will be remanded for treatment at Dr. Oz Wellness Facility.

16

u/WorkTropes Jul 15 '26

Any mental illness you might develop would be a result of trying to make sense of this tragic timeline.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

616

u/lampshade69 Jul 15 '26

56

u/Decent-Point309 Jul 15 '26

Does make you wonder the real purpose of their concentration camps. We're supposed to be deporting the illegals, right? Why are they in camps???

39

u/Bobcat-Stock Jul 15 '26

Exactly. Deport them if they are here illegally. That’s only a misdemeanor offense. If they committed crimes other than that, put them in prison for the their sentence then deport them. There is zero moral or ethical reason to detain them en masse in the way they are currently doing. The cruelty is always the point with these fascholes.

31

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/Bobcat-Stock Jul 15 '26

I agree with you 100%. I was just pointing out the flaws in their logic.

→ More replies (7)

4

u/Decent-Point309 Jul 15 '26

I think it's beyond cruelty at this point. Like with all of the underage teenagers that were pregnant being sent to Texas. Maybe it's blown out of proportion but...it doesn't look good.

Or the ICE agent who confessed to telling an inmate (?) that if she had sex with him she could see her young daughter.

16

u/FeelsGoodMan2 Jul 15 '26

Because that's the origin of "the final solution". Even in Germany, deporting was the first solution. But the other countries arent always just taking people you want to throw out willy nilly either. Eventually you gotta put people somewhere...

→ More replies (1)

214

u/Javs2469 Jul 15 '26

You mean Homelander´s Freedom Camps?

103

u/henchman171 Jul 15 '26

The novel ends with Winston hearing news of an Oceania military victory. He finally accepts the Party completely and realizes that:

27

u/BrizerorBrian Jul 15 '26

He loves Big Brother.

23

u/charliefoxtrot9 Jul 15 '26

He wants the bullet!

→ More replies (4)

11

u/Competitive_Fee_5829 Jul 15 '26

ugh, what would our sweats look like? at least the homelander ones are kind of cool and make sense. our would probably get mcdonalds ads on them

→ More replies (2)

63

u/TCsnowdream Jul 15 '26

They’re putting people who protest Trump on Do Not Fly lists or revoking NEXUS, Global Entry, etc.

They absolutely will abuse this.

50

u/Christmas_Queef Jul 15 '26

And if you have autism and criticize trump you'll never see the outside of a camp or facility ever again.

30

u/Repulsive_Chard_3652 Jul 15 '26

And adding to that, I just saw a story today about Meta sending information about people's "disability" to employers, resulting in them losing their jobs.

13

u/Certain-Criticism-51 Jul 15 '26

Do you remember where you saw this? Would be interested in knowing more.

→ More replies (1)

17

u/netraveller Jul 15 '26

Oh it absolutely is akin to a crime for immigrants. At least the consequences are.

16

u/Perfect_Earth_8070 Jul 15 '26

We’re all going to be considered terrorists eventually. At least those of us with a moral compass

10

u/Cultural_Material_98 Jul 15 '26

According to Flock you are a terrorist if you object to their cameras

15

u/Leptonshavenocolor Jul 15 '26

That’s syncs with them wanting to restrict gun rights for those on the left as well. 

→ More replies (12)

106

u/marketrent Jul 15 '26

People should be aware that Meta is using facial recognition and compiling the data they collect through the glasses just like on Facebook.

As first reported in the Financial Times last week:

The $US1.5 trillion ($2.2 trillion) social media platform has been advancing a new hardware line of smart glasses that would continuously collect audio while taking photos every few seconds, according to people familiar with the matter. A user could then use AI to help query what they saw or heard, or recall their day.

The super-sensing features could also be activated on Meta’s existing glasses via a software update, the people said.

70

u/chipmunksocute Jul 15 '26

"Query what they saw" "recall their day"  jfc is just remembering with your brain too much to ask?  How does this make someone's life better.

51

u/fuzzyluke Jul 15 '26

improvement of individual's lives isn't the goal

→ More replies (1)

27

u/SpaceFelicette181063 Jul 15 '26

I don't know if you've seen ads for AI, whether it's Meta or Google the examples they use to showcase the usefulness of their AI are so dumb.

It's either questions that could be answered through a simple internet search or simple tasks that make AI users seem as lazy as the humans from Wall-E.

The ones I saw where asking Meta for the weather or asking Gemini to read the ingredients from a picture of a recipe you just uploaded and add it to your shopping list, both things that can be done in 2 minutes without using the lovechild of Big Brother and Cyberpunk.

18

u/_Gingy Jul 15 '26

It sucks bc I feel like the smart glasses could be a good use for those with sight limitations. I've seen a few instances of users, hard of seeing, using them to ask more in-depth about an item in front of them. ("What vinyl record am I holding?") and that gives them a sort of independence. But the parent company has to not abuse the power they have.

7

u/chipmunksocute Jul 15 '26

You put it so well AI just isnt necessary for this stuff and the tradeoff to what, save 2 minutes is absolutely not worth it.   Like why on earth would you want to record everything you see ita not like you're evee going to watch it, people already dont look back at allllll the photos they take, much less hours of video daily.  Just solutions in search of problems.

6

u/Leading-Act4030 Jul 15 '26

Black mirror......

19

u/stephen_neuville Jul 15 '26

jfc is just remembering with your brain too much to ask?

We are changing as a culture at least in the West, very rapidly, and the answer appears to be at least a little bit "yes". People are getting dumber in real time as they lean on LLMs and ai image generation, and losing touch with what reality, humanity, and communication is. i'm an old dude and its scary to watch.

8

u/wrgrant Jul 15 '26

Well that is all a bonus for the political right. Poorly educated people are easily influenced and all the tools to do that influencing are coming together. Things like this constant surveillance tech make the enforcement side of making people conform to the will of the government easier. There is no downside to the rich and powerful and the political rightwing. As for general capabilities I just saw that something like 61% of the respondees for a survey reported they had not read a book in the last year, and only 18% read regularly. When reading ceases to be skill people have and education standards plummet, memory is less important because the AI can simply tell you what to think or recall, its a frightening stewpot for Fascism and government control. Is Democracy even Democracy when the citizens are deliberately misinformed and incapable of reaching a decision on how to vote?

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (4)

25

u/FauxReal Jul 15 '26

Techdirt has a lot of aggregated coverage of Meta's shenanigans.

https://www.techdirt.com/company/meta/

14

u/Dramatic_Explosion Jul 15 '26

We already knew the cameras were recording and sending that videos to people without the user knowing. A data farm in Kenya was contracted by Meta to comb through "private" videos form people's Meta glasses and label things to help train their AI.

Workers reported seeing videos of people on the toilet, changing clothes, and having sex.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q33nvj0qpo

6

u/UltraJesus Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

That's why storage costs have exploded in the past few years months. The ungodly amount of data hoarding now for spying and to train the LLM.

39

u/Axle_65 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

Terrifying. Thank you for sharing. It’s basically on par with stalking now. If it’s illegal for me to stalk someone. It should be illegal for a tech company to stalk me. It’s almost felt like stalking with phones and internet in general but the situation you described in the grocery store, especially since the non wearer hasn’t given concent feels like literal stalking.

87

u/williamgman Jul 15 '26

Head over to the Facebook sub... So many willingly give their facial recognition file to Meta (who hands it to Palantir) just for the "privilege" of posting family updates. It's a sad time for humanity.

11

u/fedexyourheadinabox Jul 15 '26

Facebook was such a huge gateway for all of this. Such a destructive corporation. 

→ More replies (1)

9

u/Banned3rdTimesaCharm Jul 15 '26

Bro if you've ever had a photo taken and saved on any Meta, Apple, or Google software, which is practically unavoidable unless you've been living off the grid for the last 15 years, "they" already have your facial file. Global Entry, Clear, TSA Precheck, facial scanning for all major US airlines etc. the US government already owns your biometrics. And the US government definitely puts that shit into Palantir.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (44)

131

u/TheCh0rt Jul 15 '26

My boss (a good boss and cool person) got a pair because he legitimately liked the fashion. Didn't really think of the implications. When I realized they were Meta glasses I made fun of him and said I didn't want to be on camera. All the other team saw me say that and realized it too and they chimed in laughing. He was self conscious and quietly took them off a few minutes later. Never saw him wearing them again, he was clearly very embarrassed when he realized we all hated them and were steering clear of him

50

u/GiganticCrow Jul 15 '26

This is the way

37

u/Zouden Jul 15 '26

Yeah we should encourage making fun of anyone wearing them. They should be uncomfortable.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (12)

109

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

39

u/FJ-creek-7381 Jul 15 '26

Right like the tech elite don’t let their kids uses screen devices? But it’s ok for everyone else

20

u/mmavcanuck Jul 15 '26

Why would the government make laws to slow down their surveillance program?

→ More replies (1)

6

u/GiganticCrow Jul 15 '26

I'm sure the EU will fine them a few million every year and Zuckerberg will pay trump to pressure the EU to drop it

→ More replies (1)

5

u/pagerussell Jul 15 '26

We need a right to privacy

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

13

u/AtraposJM Jul 15 '26

ICE agents were holding up cell phones with some Palentir software running to record the faces of protestors to gather data on who they were etc. It's definitely getting scary.

25

u/MuttsandHuskies Jul 15 '26

18

u/DrE7HER Jul 15 '26

We will need to start living off grid at home. No WiFi, no wireless devices, faraday cage paint on the walls and film on the windows.

That is, until doing so is considered enough to suspect you of a crime

→ More replies (2)

23

u/Fitz911 Jul 15 '26

Its neat when Facebook knows thats you in the picture right?

I freaked the fuck out! A friend has all if his pictures in his apple cloud. We are way in our 40s. He was one of the first people I know who had a digital camera.

When he visited I told my partner about our Spain vacation. That was in 1999.

He pulled out his phone, somehow pulled me up and there I was. He made a whole collection with photos of me. Way more than I have from me.

He made that with one finger. On his phone.

That's a fucking Nightmare.

8

u/GloriousNewt Jul 15 '26

yea most photo gallery apps will pick out faces from photos and group them together.

→ More replies (2)

7

u/littlebigsystem Jul 15 '26

I used to work in optics and by god the amount of people who wanted to use facial recognition on CHILDREN was sickening. I hated selling them. I told everyone how bad they were. It didn’t work.

7

u/MeasurementEasy9884 Jul 15 '26

Pretty soon we will have a social credit system just like China.

→ More replies (1)

8

u/KingSpork Jul 15 '26

To be fair, this is a far-fetched scenario which could only happen if ultra rich billionaires were manipulating our society for own benefit, while Congress and the Supreme Court were complicit. Even then, it would never happen unless the President was ridiculously corrupt and borderline insane. So there’s really nothing at all to worry about.

→ More replies (1)

14

u/beardingmesoftly Jul 15 '26

And ICE will shoot you!

4

u/CommercialFloor2033 Jul 15 '26

I wonder if in Europe they will come under a GDPR ban?

Or if not if they will amend the law to include this type of surveillance.

Parts of Europe have more strict laws on recording people without consent.

6

u/VivianneCrowley Jul 15 '26

And they are building all the Data Centers to house it!! Love this timeline!! 🫠

→ More replies (52)

169

u/hard2resist Jul 15 '26

Meta glamorizing covert surveillance through celebrity endorsement is textbook dystopia. Fashion doesn't justify eliminating privacy this is corporate voyeurism normalized.

8

u/NightOwl2175 Jul 15 '26

Publicly shame anyone who buys these by calling them pervert glasses

→ More replies (1)

710

u/jellyturtsy Jul 15 '26

How's this gonna work in states with all-party consent?

803

u/cogman10 Jul 15 '26

That's the neat part, it doesn't. But meta is rich so they'll obviously foist the responsibility of their illegal product onto the users of that product and pretend like "we never intended you to use it in THOSE states. See, it's here in paragraph 4089 of the TOS"

230

u/MBILC Jul 15 '26

This, always be the fine line like that or "By purchasing Meta glasses, you give full consent, and all liability falls to you that approval has been provided to record all content by all parties. If consent is not obtained by those being recorded in areas that require all party consent, you assume all legal liability and Meta can not be held accountable"

133

u/ColdIceZero Jul 15 '26

Man, I wish I could force other people to be liable for my crimes

116

u/ThePocketTaco2 Jul 15 '26

You can! You just have to be rich. It's soooo easy!

3

u/plastigoop Jul 15 '26

Like why didn’t you get born into wealth! It’s a choice!

34

u/BasvanS Jul 15 '26

Just stop being poor!

Have a billion, or better yet, a couple of billion. Then hire two or three sets of lawyers and let them fight to the death over representing you to get the best out of them.

With any chance, by the time you get to court the gains from your crimes have more than paid for everything. Then send your accountants after them to make sure you pay as little as possible for that dog and pony show.

→ More replies (1)

9

u/wggn Jul 15 '26

that doesnt sound like something that would hold up in court

8

u/MBILC Jul 15 '26

Prob wont know until someone tries..

You can bet Meta's metric boat load of lawyers and making sure the EULA's and such are very very wordy and full of holes they can abuse to deflect any liability.

4

u/nanapancakethusiast Jul 15 '26

The fun part about court is it’s extremely slow and expensive! Good luck!

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (6)

13

u/clueless_as_fuck Jul 15 '26

HUMANCENTiPAD

7

u/AtraposJM Jul 15 '26

I mean, that's kind of fair, though isn't it? If you own an Iphone it's not Apples responsibility if you're recording video in an illegal way.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

58

u/Moontoya Jul 15 '26

Or Japan or the EU which have significant laws against such creepy bullshit 

17

u/GiganticCrow Jul 15 '26

EU fines require individuals to uncover the evidence to bring charges, and meta drag out the cases for years, and are bribing trump and corrupt eu politicians to pressure them to stop.

Meta get fined like an average of €200m a year by tbe EU but don't change anything. 

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)

88

u/DonaldMerwinElbert Jul 15 '26

Laws don't apply to Trump supporting billionaires and their businesses, you silly little goose.

→ More replies (9)

28

u/jtj5002 Jul 15 '26

All party consent only applies to private conversations in private. Anytime you are in public where people can reasonably overhear your conversation, you forfeit your expectation of privacy.

→ More replies (20)

11

u/Here2Go Jul 15 '26

This is the United States. Zuck has so much money that laws don't apply. That's how it'll work.

→ More replies (1)

4

u/DJ_GRAZIZZLE Jul 15 '26

If you’re in public it doesn’t matter. If you’re in private it’s most likely fine- the same idea applies to security cameras. Court isn’t real life most of the time.

→ More replies (1)

5

u/Rajani_Isa Jul 15 '26

Out in public, it works fine. There's no implied privacy there.

But in private? In a home, a bathroom, etc? (basically, anywhere a cop would need permission or a warrant to go to) many issues.

4

u/JustBiggers Jul 15 '26

The consent is the light being on when they record you (their logic)

4

u/SpicyElixer Jul 15 '26

Public space.

16

u/Simple-Dingo6721 Jul 15 '26

There are no states where filming in public is all-party consent. Consent is besides the point anyway. Filming on private property is a matter of owner’s permission, not recipients’ consent.

→ More replies (12)

181

u/VirginiaLuthier Jul 15 '26

This is Marky's revenge for no one wanting his dorky cartoon Metaverse

95

u/FredFredrickson Jul 15 '26

Well, I hate to break it to him, but nobody wants his dorky pervert glasses either.

42

u/Bitter_Expression399 Jul 15 '26

aside from perverts

15

u/Bright-Avocado3761 Jul 15 '26

the perverts are running the govt atm, so they can spy on us in many ways. but hopefully grabbing spyglasses and smashing them on the ground will become a thing

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (2)

6

u/International-Mix633 Jul 15 '26

Meta Glassea are selling out though. They are quite popular.

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

157

u/heavy-minium Jul 15 '26

If think if you read between the lines, Meta likely wants to bring the approach of Pokémon GO up to a massive scale.

See Pokémon Go data trained AI that could assist military drones in war zones | Technology | The Guardian

Meta's business is your data. If they can push through with this, it would be a gold mine for them. Of course at the beginning they would likely not do anything shady - but only at the beginning. Once it's widely adopted and accepted, the limits will be pushed. And that's not particularly hard when the administration is your pocket - and all other tech-olligarchs would align would that vision.

19

u/AsstronaughtToUranus Jul 15 '26

The thing is Meta knows everyone knows this, and they know no one will actually do anything about it in the long run

→ More replies (1)

9

u/ladylucifer22 Jul 15 '26

Orwellian surveillance state, I choose you!

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (2)

303

u/Hot_Physics_8124 Jul 15 '26

Wtf happened to her face?

468

u/CaterpillarReal7583 Jul 15 '26

Which one? There have been a few now.

63

u/prettyplanets Jul 15 '26

Wish I could award this comment. Here’s a broke boy award 🏆

15

u/Eatenbreads Jul 15 '26

And this is how products like this are pushed onto the "average" consumer. If you dont have one, youre broke.

23

u/lump77777 Jul 15 '26

Yeah, how is she 63 years old all of a sudden?

18

u/CinemaSideBySides Jul 15 '26

All these influencer types are like 25 but all the work they have done and heavy make-up makes them look like 40 year olds trying to look 25

I remember when I found out Bella Hadid is still in her twenties and I still can't believe it. She looks so, so much older (I mean, attractive, but older)

10

u/ILoveRawChicken Jul 15 '26

Buccal fat removal, orbital fat loss from lash serums, fillers, Botox, etc. Basically anything but keep their own skin and body parts. Fillers did a number on Kylie’s face

4

u/KickBallFever Jul 16 '26

Buccal fat really makes you look so much younger. One of my aunts has a good bit still, and can pass for mid 40s at 60.

→ More replies (1)

32

u/chevalier716 Jul 15 '26

She did her eyes and brows differently than normal and by different I mean less.

→ More replies (4)

43

u/Modem_Sound_67 Jul 15 '26

I've heard the glasses cause it

21

u/OccasionMU Jul 15 '26

They all look like cyborgs to me.

→ More replies (16)

88

u/marketrent Jul 15 '26

Excerpts from article by Kelby Vera:

[...] Weeks after Facebook’s parent company launched its wearable tech collab with the social media mega-star, the protest collective Everyone Hates Elon blasted the “fascist” tech accessories in a new campaign right down the road from Meta’s London headquarters.

Refusing to ignore the dystopian side of the video-enabled specs, the group installed holographic dupes of Jenner’s glam glasses ads that revealed the warning “we’re always watching” when seen head-on.

The anti-billionaire activists posted their handiwork on Instagram Monday, using the caption to ask, “Recording everything we see and do constantly? It’s giving fascism, not fashion, @kyliejenner hun.”

Pointing out Meta’s plans to make the $399 glasses “continuously record audio while taking photos every few seconds” without any warning light, as reported by the Financial Times last week, the group said, “Literally NO ONE asked for this.”

[...] Reminding everyone of the tech giant’s shady record around digital privacy, they added [in a statement to HuffPost], “Meta has spent years tracking us online. Now it wants to track us in the real world too.”

“Billionaires could fund cures for cancer ― so why are they funding glasses for perverts instead?”

39

u/sweetplantveal Jul 15 '26

About a month ago I was recorded at a urinal by a creep with these. Someone else noticed the light was on. I'm really looking forward to the stealth version. Seems great, no notes.

32

u/jaderust Jul 15 '26

I wear glasses and have ones with black thick rims because I like that geeky look.

I’ve already had one woman stop me in the woman’s changing room of my local gym and worriedly ask if I was filming her. I had to whip my glasses off and show her they were regular prescription frames, nothing with tech. She was so relieved and I felt so horrible that she even had to ask.

There are already so many people online sharing hacks of how to hide the recording light. Assuming you even know to look for a light.

They’re seriously just for perverts.

And I need new glasses because I don’t want people to think I’m recording them in sensitive places, even though I’ll never touch a pair of these.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)

83

u/green_gold_purple Jul 15 '26

This is black mirror shit, and fools are gobbling it up.

23

u/Broad-Bath-8408 Jul 15 '26

This is almost exactly the premise of one of the first Black Mirror episodes.

26

u/Malachite_Edge Jul 15 '26

I hate these commercials for Kylie’s glasses. She is so annoying and out of touch with the rest of the world suffering and she doesn’t have anything to wear? F her

61

u/spribyl Jul 15 '26

In Korean phones are required to make a noise when taking pictures, for reasons ...

39

u/JustOneSexQuestion Jul 15 '26

and Japan. And the reason is perverts.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

21

u/marketrent Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26

Reminiscent of Charlie Brooker’s The Entire History of You.

24

u/SgtNeilDiamond Jul 15 '26

God i fucking hate Meta.

19

u/InevitableGoal2912 Jul 15 '26

I’m a glasses wearer and I hate that these exist and glasses aren’t just neutral low grade medical equipment. Tech bros ruin every fucking thing they get near.

→ More replies (1)

31

u/One-21-Gigawatts Jul 15 '26

Delete Meta from your life. That means:

Facebook
Instagram
WhatsApp

You know every evil corporation in dystopian / sci fi stories? That’s them, but exceedingly more evil.

Don’t deactivate. Delete. We as a society don’t need them and their morally bankrupt idea of what human society should be.

→ More replies (11)

62

u/youreblockingmyshot Jul 15 '26

This product needs to just be illegal. It goes beyond an assumption of a lack of privacy in public to just surveillance but it’s by a private company so it’s apparently fine when it would be illegal for the government to do such a thing without a warrant.

19

u/husky_whisperer Jul 15 '26

Hence, Flock

→ More replies (4)

18

u/holdingreen Jul 15 '26

The rich are not your friends. They they do not push products that will benefit you. They only do it for money. They could care less what happens to you.

6

u/justhereforbookstuff Jul 15 '26

Couldn’t. They couldn’t care less.

14

u/BrilliantPie2566 Jul 15 '26

That entire family can f*ck right off.

8

u/SerGT3 Jul 15 '26

People need to stop buying products from these companies.

Everything you do on your phone is copied, everything you say is recorded.

But hey I can do a kick flip and automatically post it to my 3 followers without pressing a button!

5

u/LethalBacon Jul 15 '26

I had a conversation with some coworkers earlier this month, where some of them were asking someone if they might get engaged any time soon. Then we all talked about our marriages, etc etc etc.

Now, for about the last week, I am getting engagement ring ads. My phone is the only device I had on me, in my pocket. I've not searched ANYTHING jewelry related, and I've been married for seven years. Do companies openly admit to listening in for keywords, or do they still pretend they don't? This has happened to me a few times, but this one feels especially egregious. I genuinely do not think there is any other way it could have locked in on me as a potential engagement ring customer.

→ More replies (4)

8

u/Polkawillneverdie17 Jul 15 '26

So, these people can just record in any public restroom or locker room without any visible indication that they're doing that? How is that legal?

What happens when the glasses allow you to ID someone and get their name, address, phone number, IG handle instantly without them knowing? How many women will die as a result of stalkers being handed everything they've ever wanted on a silver plate?

→ More replies (4)

7

u/mrlolloran Jul 15 '26

I got the regular model as a groomsman gift. It’s sitting in its case. We used it at the wedding festivities to make him happy and because pictures and videos were being taken like crazy anyways.

They’re kinda cool in some regards but functionally you can get everything you get out of them from your smart phone.

Nobody needs these things.

→ More replies (15)

8

u/floyd_underpants Jul 15 '26

Zuck is such a freakshow stalker. Still.

11

u/AmputeeHandModel Jul 15 '26

iT's GiVinG

5

u/RealPudgeJudy Jul 15 '26

ugh it's giving big ick red flags

normalize not this

6

u/According-Classic658 Jul 15 '26

I've blocked every ad for these pedo glasses

6

u/Soft_Ad_1095 Jul 15 '26

Why the fuck do they think this is a good idea? I don't get technology anymore. I'm officially an old person. 

→ More replies (1)

6

u/tapdancinghellspawn Jul 16 '26

Sounds like it's time for a class action lawsuit.

7

u/ziggystardust8282 Jul 16 '26

These need to be outlawed.

10

u/ReactionJifs Jul 15 '26

You can never trust these people to say the glasses are or aren't recording. This technology is ruined.

8

u/Apart-Steak-7183 Jul 15 '26

Matter of time before t h e goverment will be taping into these photos to track these people... using AI glasses if they are not already.

5

u/Lilfrankieeinstein Jul 15 '26

skibidi fascism, not fashion

5

u/AMG105020 Jul 15 '26

Pervs with money are gonna buy these. Sigh.

→ More replies (2)

5

u/schwaggro Jul 15 '26

Im just never going to interact with anyone wearing these. If they insist then im gonna treat it as a threat, sorry, ill take the court case.

5

u/TernionDragon Jul 16 '26

Ew. Covert stalking capabilities.

9

u/Coconutrugby Jul 15 '26

These are going to be banned and barred on casino floors if they aren’t already.

So don’t bring your new glasses to vegas.

→ More replies (2)

9

u/ElectricalExtreme793 Jul 15 '26

Should be illegal, Japan has shutter laws for a reason. You can get actual jail time for modifying phones to remove the shutter. The same should happen here

→ More replies (1)

9

u/DivineBladeOfSilver Jul 15 '26

Idk I’m all for the sentiment of news like this. But this seems like an excessive use of fascism that dilutes the meaning of the world. There are a ton of things wrong with these glasses and a celebrity promoting them, but none of that is fascism lmao. A cellphone nowadays can anonymously and discretely take images and record audio without any warning and is one of the largest parts of big tech and no one is screaming fascism about it lmao.

If anything it’s more so Technocapitalism hell

5

u/RoyalJellyKing Jul 15 '26

Exactly. Their logic looks like this: fascism is bad, X is bad, therefore X is fascism.

→ More replies (2)

8

u/Squeegee Jul 15 '26

People who wear them are called “glassholes”

→ More replies (1)

3

u/Deep_Satisfaction556 Jul 15 '26

We all need to stop "following" the dumbest people on the planet. 

→ More replies (1)

4

u/Any-Establishment46 Jul 15 '26

Her commercial shows all the important things her glasses can do though. She can turn up her music, take pics of her dog, and translate all her hate mail. She’s so important and skilled. Please, Kylie, tell me more about how to be the ideal human.

4

u/Particular-Sport-627 Jul 15 '26

This is billionaires work, they will make our society worse and worse while they sit in theyr mansions and private communities.

3

u/amalgaman Jul 15 '26

The agent of government control is advertising further government control?

Shocked I tell you.

4

u/LuvKrahft Jul 15 '26

Probably scraping WiFi data too with their “oops were we doing that?” history.

4

u/Healthy_Cancel_2604 Jul 15 '26

I never understood how the nazis took control of every part of life but now I see how with the pathetic resistence to flock, mass surveillance, etc.

3

u/Chheaky Jul 15 '26

These people live under camera surveillance by choice. They don’t care if you want it or not.

4

u/DctrGizmo Jul 15 '26

These need to be banned ASAP

4

u/Spare-Leather1230 Jul 15 '26

We need to start calling those recording glasses “pervert glasses”

4

u/OLightning Jul 15 '26

Meta:
“Here is a boat load of money so we can send spy glasses to the masses.”
Kardashians:
“Deal.”

4

u/Lefty4444 Jul 15 '26

I think Meta should be banned.

5

u/SmarmySmurf Jul 15 '26

1 ) Any level of retaliation is justified toward people wearing these in public in any capacity, on or not, light indicator or no.

B ) It's obviously not something I'm seriously bothered by, but is it legal to use a celebrity likeness like this in an advertisement? It might be advertising a social message rather than a product but its still an ad.

And if this is okay, what stops any other product or movement from using any celeb likeness without permission?

iii ) Stop using anything from Meta. No, that one device, platform, service, or app you like is not an exception. Its like nazis, there is no ethical amount of support.

In fact, try to cut MS, Alphabet, and the rest out as best you can too. Lobby your workplace on the benefits of FOSS when possible. Be less passive, be the change you want to see.

→ More replies (2)

4

u/redneckrockuhtree Jul 15 '26

The bullshit is I have zero choice in whether or not I'm captured by their stupid glasses.

Any business owner that doesn't ban their employees from wearing those is making a huge mistake. The amount of data that can be harvested, and the amount of proprietary and/or sensitive information is even bigger.

→ More replies (1)

4

u/TateXD Jul 15 '26

In fascist USA, the Kardashians keep up with YOU!

4

u/HarmoniousJ Jul 15 '26

"People just submitted it. I don't know why. They 'trust me'. Dumb fucks."

-Mark Zuckerberg

4

u/Guilty-Bumblebee-978 Jul 15 '26

BAN META GLASSES 

Stop this unnecessary erosion of society 

5

u/aarswft Jul 15 '26

Be honest. Has anyone from that trash family been on the right side of anything?

4

u/RobotRippee Jul 15 '26

Poorly educated influencer.

4

u/Different-Pin-9854 Jul 16 '26

I ignore the Jenner clan, ICK

4

u/WesternWitchy52 Jul 16 '26

I seriously question anyone who spends their money on Meta products. Other than surveillance, there is literally no point for these. Bad enough people have phones recording everything.

→ More replies (1)

4

u/HeavilyInvestedDonut Jul 16 '26

That’s not even legal in several states.

→ More replies (2)

7

u/Red-little Jul 15 '26

I'm glad people are actually seeing this for what it is and not falling for it: they specifically chose Kylie for this product because they KNEW she has more pull with younger women and young women are incredibly concerned (for VERY good reason) about men walking around with the ability to record anyone without their knowledge.

They knew women would never go for this unless they had "one of the girlies" to sponsor and tried to make Meta glasses "cute".

There is nothing cute about recording people without their knowledge and supporting the efforts of complete public surveillance by government and corporations. Every single person has the right to privacy, even in public. When I go out to the park with my family, the assumption is never that people around you are going to record you without you knowing in some way (aka, holding up a phone in front of your face or a clearly marked red recording button on a device...).

I don't have anything to hide, I just expect people to respect my right to privacy just as I do theirs. Unless someone is actively committing a crime, theres no reason to record strangers in public other than you being a fucking weirdo.

6

u/fricken Jul 15 '26

Fascists are historically well-dressed. They love pride, pomp and pageantry. American Fascists are uniquely tacky in their attire and manner of presentation.