Her first date was going perfect until a friend texted to warn her he was wearing Meta glasses. His excuse killed any chance of a second date

A 31-year-old woman whom LBC is calling Kelly explained that what began as a promising first date took an unexpected turn. At first, everything was perfect. The man was "goofy and sweet," she said. But it all turned upside down when her friend pointed out that the man she was meeting was wearing Meta smart glasses. The realization left her questioning whether she had unknowingly been recorded, and the experience sparked a wider conversation about privacy concerns surrounding wearable AI technology. Needless to say, it unlocked a new fear inside her, as she relayed to LBC in a July 28, 2026 report.

Sinister possibilities

It didn’t bother Kelly until she was sitting across from him and a thought crossed her mind that he could be using the glasses to film her and their date. After all, it just requires a pinch or casual tap on the frame of these glasses to capture a photo or record a video. The date told her that the glasses were merely for “recording and photography,” and since he had forgotten to recharge them, they were switched off at the time. But her friends warned her about possible privacy risks. “He could have been using AI to make you have your top off or something,” one friend told her. Others warned her that her data could be put on some incel forum.

Illusion of privacy

Discussions like these have been sparking throughout the world ever since Mark Zuckerberg’s company launched the Meta Glasses, in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, Ray-Ban, and, recently, Kylie Jenner. Although the product’s tagline says, “Designed for privacy, controlled by you,” there is little control humans seem to have when encountering a person wearing these glasses. The devices have sparked debate online over privacy and surveillance.

When surveillance becomes the new normal

Those concerns aren't limited to social media users. Cyberpsychologist Dr. Catherine Knibbs agreed that there is a "sinister side" to this fashionware and people need to understand that. The glasses, though useful, can become intrusive and pose surveillance fear in people, especially women.

 “They're allegedly being used for harassment, primarily of women at this stage, as attested by many social media videos claiming so, and that's a privacy rights issue. They are a cybersecurity issue,” explained Dr. Knibbs. The risk rises as Meta’s sales soar to 82% of smart-glasses shipments, according to CounterPoint Research. About 7 million pairs have been sold, per a 13 May 2026 report by the BBC.

A trick to remember

On the official website, Meta advises wearers to respect other people’s preferences and switch off the glasses in private spaces like bathrooms, doctor's rooms, and places of worship. For others, the company shared a failsafe trick to ensure that they know when someone’s Meta Glasses are switched on. The glasses display a “bright white notification LED light” on the front corner of the frame that remains lit during the recording. As for Kelly, the attraction for the man was instantly killed the moment she got to know about his Meta Glasses. It left her embarrassed, feeling uncertain, and unfocused throughout the date. "It gave me the ick,” she described. "If he wasn't wearing them, maybe he would've gotten a second date; I’m not going to lie."

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