Entities sue MPF against Meta's smart glasses due to risks to privacy and consumers

Smart glasses become a rage in pranks on networks with third-party exposure The Institute for Consumer Protection (Idec) and the organization Coding Rights asked this Thursday (20) that the National Data Protection Agency (ANPD), the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon) and the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) investigate the marketing of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in Brazil. The entities claim that the product can put people's privacy at risk and violate the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) and the Consumer Protection Code (CDC). ??Do you have any reporting suggestions? Send it to g1 In the letter, the organizations ask that the three bodies act in a coordinated manner to verify whether the product complies with Brazilian legislation and whether it offers sufficient mechanisms to protect not only consumers, but also anyone who may be unknowingly filmed. Launched in Brazil in September 2025, smart glasses have built-in cameras, microphones and speakers. ? In addition to taking photos, recording videos and capturing audio, the device allows you to answer calls, transmit content to social networks and use artificial intelligence features, such as real-time translation and responses about the environment observed by the user. According to Idec and Coding Rights, the main problem is not the ability to record images, but the difficulty for third parties to realize that they are being recorded. Unlike a cell phone, which needs to be lifted to film, glasses allow recording to be done in a much more discreet way. Although the equipment has an LED that indicates when the camera is on, the entities claim that the light is small, barely noticeable and can be deactivated through modifications to the device widely publicized in tutorials on the internet. For them, a security mechanism that can be easily circumvented does not offer sufficient protection. Another point raised by organizations is the treatment of captured images and audio. According to the document, this material can be sent to Meta's servers and used to train artificial intelligence systems. Entities also show concern about the development of facial recognition tools. Although the functionality is not currently available, they state that documents released this year indicate that the company has tested this feature. Pranks drive debate Accounts on Instagram and TikTok prank anonymous people using smart glasses. Reproduction/TikTok The representation was presented at a time when smart glasses are gaining popularity on social networks, mainly in "prank" videos. As g1 showed, content creators use devices to record strangers in public places without them noticing. In some of the videos, participants authorize the publication of the images at the end of the recording. In other cases, however, it is not clear whether there was consent before the content was disclosed. One of the most popular games involves hiding a contactless payment card inside a product's packaging. At the supermarket checkout, the creator approaches the packaging to the machine and records the employee's surprised reaction when he sees the purchase being paid for without an apparent card. Experts interviewed by g1 state that recording someone in a public space is not necessarily illegal, but publishing these images without authorization can lead to requests for the content to be removed and actions for moral damages, especially when there is humiliating exposure. (see what the consumer's rights are in these cases) Meta states that the glasses have mechanisms to indicate when they are recording and that users are responsible for complying with the legislation and using the equipment in a safe and respectful manner. Cases already registered The document filed by the entities cites episodes that reinforce concerns about technology. One of them occurred in Salvador (BA), where a gynecologist was reported for using smart glasses while caring for a patient. For Idec and Coding Rights, devices capable of recording images and sounds practically imperceptibly can facilitate situations of harassment, invasion of privacy and violence, especially against women and girls. "From the consumer's perspective, what we have here is a company that placed a dangerous product on the market and transferred the task of protecting themselves from it to those who didn't even buy the device", says Julia Abad, from Idec. Among the requests sent to the ANPD, Senacon and the MPF are: the opening of investigations; analysis of product risks for consumers and third parties; the creation of mechanisms so that people filmed can exercise their rights under the LGPD; the prohibition of activating facial recognition resources without prior authorization from Brazilian authorities. Debate is also advancing abroad: Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, wears Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses during the presentation of the new line of smart glasses at the Meta Connect event, in Menlo Park, California (USA), on September 17, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria Concerns about smart glasses have also grown outside Brazil. With more than 7 million units sold worldwide in 2025, the device has been the subject of debates about privacy in several countries. In Germany, experts advocate stricter rules for the use of technology due to the risk of recordings without consent. According to the local press, data protection authorities are analyzing measures to prevent hidden filming and studying the application of fines in cases of irregular use.