Technologies

Can You Tell if You’re Being Filmed by Smart Glasses? Here’s What the Devices Look Like

You don’t want to be secretly recorded by a wearer of Meta Ray-Bans. We’ll explain the distinguishing features of popular smart glasses.

Meta is facing another lawsuit, after an investigation by Swedish news outlets found that photos and videos captured by the company’s smart glasses can be reviewed by overseas workers. The lawsuit alleges that this access to footage — including sensitive content like nudity — goes against privacy laws and Meta’s own advertising claims.

Let’s backtrack: Meta Ray-Bans look like a chunkier pair of normal black Ray-Ban Wayfarers, and the average person probably wouldn’t suspect that those frames contain a hidden camera.

When I told my friend about them, she was disgusted. «Ew,» she said. «Why do those exist?»

I’ve never owned a pair of smart glasses, but I saw them in the wild twice last year. Once was when I was riding the New York City subway and noticed a person sitting across from me wearing the frames.

The other time was when I struck up a conversation with a guy at a bar. It took a minute in the dimly lit room, but then I recognized the telltale signs of his smart glasses.

I was unsettled. For a moment, I had the feeling of encountering an urban creature like a rat or raccoon, and I didn’t know how to behave.

«Act natural,» I told myself. He wasn’t recording me (I’m pretty certain), but I knew that he could be.

Smart glasses and privacy problems

Much of the general public still doesn’t know anything about smart glasses, and that’s a major problem.

Some smart glasses wearers are exploiting the ignorance by harassing strangers and filming their reactions. Many of their victims are homeless people, service workers and women.

These glasses aren’t a niche product, either. Meta sold 7 million pairs of smart glasses in 2025. For a relatively low price (they start at $300), «manfluencers» and other content creators can buy a pair of Meta Ray-Bans and use them to record unwitting subjects.

Smart glasses can be used to surveil people who participate in protests or secretly record people in restrooms and other public places. The privacy problem will only get worse if companies add facial recognition features to their smart glasses — and Meta is reportedly planning to do just that.

It may not always be possible to stop someone from filming you in public without your consent. But you can make it harder for this new generation of «glassholes» to film you in secret. The first step is knowing how to identify the technology.

What do smart glasses look like?

Not all smart glasses look alike, and not all models have cameras. The vast majority of camera glasses currently available are produced by Meta.

The easiest way to identify a pair is by locating the indicator light — a small LED bulb that turns on when the wearer is taking a picture or video.

According to CNET editor and wearable tech expert Scott Stein, «Each pair of smart glasses has its own type of indicator. And many smart glasses do different things. We don’t have a clear mental map of what to look for. That’s a big part of the problem.»

Meta Ray-Bans have been around since 2021. (They launched under the name Ray-Ban Stories.) A slimmer second-generation model was introduced in 2023.

The latest iteration includes a small screen built into one of the lenses, though from most angles, this feature is only visible to the wearer.

All Meta Ray-Ban models have relatively thick plastic frames with a camera lens located in the frame’s upper left corner (or upper right if you’re facing the wearer). On the opposite corner is the LED light, which automatically turns on when the wearer is filming. It lights up when a photo is taken and pulses when recording a video.

To take a photo or record a video, the user presses the capture button on the right arm of the glasses (near the LED light). The user can also use voice commands: «Hey Meta, take a photo» or «Hey Meta, take a video.»

Meta also produces glasses in partnership with Oakley. The HSTN model looks like a rounded version of the Ray-Ban frames, with the camera and LED in the same location. But the Vanguard model looks more like wraparound goggles than glasses, and its camera and LED are found in the center of the nose bridge.

In addition to the indicator LED is an audio cue: A shutter snap sound can be heard when a picture is taken. However, both of these cues are relatively subtle.

Even if you’re aware of smart glasses indicators, you might not know for sure if you’re being filmed. Outside in direct sunlight, it’s virtually impossible to detect when the recording light is on.

Smart glasses owners can also cover up the LED with a sticker or modify the frame to disable the light altogether (though they aren’t supposed to do this). And Amazon sells some pairs of glasses with a pinhole camera, which seem tailor-made for creeps to record people in secret.

The smart glasses future is already here

Smart glasses are a relatively new technology with plenty of potential. They can be useful for visually impaired people. They allow artists, woodworkers, chefs and other creators to capture footage while their hands are occupied.

But they can also be dangerous.

Unfortunately, few current laws regulate smart glasses and deter abusers. But as the devices become more common, social norms will develop and guide their usage, just as social norms developed for recording with phones.

By being able to recognize smart glasses in public, you’re reducing the chances for pranksters and bad actors to exploit you. You’re helping to shape this emergent technology, to define what it can — and can’t — do.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 8, #562

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 8 No. 562.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Working out.

Green group hint: Cover your face.

Blue group hint: NFL players.

Purple group hint: Leap.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Exercises in singular form.

Green group: Sporting jobs that require masks.

Blue group: Hall of Fame defensive ends.

Purple group: ____ jump.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is exercises in singular form. The four answers are crunch, plank, situp and squat.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is sporting jobs that require masks. The four answers are catcher, fencer, football player and goaltender.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Hall of Fame defensive ends. The four answers are Dent, Peppers, Strahan and Youngblood.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ jump. The four answers are broad, high, long and triple.

Technologies

The $135M Google Data Settlement Site Is Live — See If You’re Eligible

Use the settlement website to select your preferred payment method, and you may end up $100 richer.

You can now file a claim in the $135 million Google data settlement. The case centers on claims that Android devices transmitted user data without consent. Specifically, the class action lawsuit Taylor v. Google LLC contends that Google’s Android devices passively transferred cellular data to Google without user permission, even when the devices were idle. While not admitting fault, Google reached a preliminary settlement in January, agreeing to pay $135 million to about 100 million US Android phone users.

The official settlement website for the lawsuit is now live. The final approval hearing won’t occur until June 23, when the court will consider whether Google’s settlement is fair and listen to objections. After that, the court will decide whether to approve the $135 million settlement.

In the meantime, if you qualify and want to be paid as part of the settlement, you can select your preferred payment method on the official website. There, you can find information on speaking at the June 23 court hearing and on how to exclude yourself or write to the court to object by May 29.

As part of the settlement, Google will update its Google Play terms of service to clarify that certain data transfers do occur passively even when you’re not using your Android device, and that cellular data may be relied upon when not connected to Wi-Fi. This can’t always be disabled, but users will be asked to consent to it when setting up their device.

Google will also fully stop collecting data when its «allow background data usage» option is toggled off.

Who can be part of the settlement?

In order to join the Taylor v. Google LLC settlement, you must meet four qualifications:

Be a living, individual human being in the US.
Have used an Android mobile device with a cellular data plan.
Have used the aforementioned device at any time from Nov. 12, 2017, to the date when the settlement receives final approval.
You’re not a class member in the Csupo v. Google LLC lawsuit, which is similar but specifically for California residents.

The final approval hearing is on June 23, so you can add your payment method until then. The hearing’s date and time may change, and any updates will be posted on the settlement website.

If you choose to do nothing, you will still be issued a settlement payment, but you may not receive it if you don’t select a payment method.

How much will I get paid?

It’s not currently known exactly how much each settlement class member will receive, but the cap is $100. Payments will be distributed after final court approval and after any appeals are resolved.

After all administrative, tax and attorney costs are paid, the settlement administrator will attempt to pay each member an equal amount. If any funds remain after payments are sent, and it’s economically feasible, they will be redistributed to members who were previously and successfully paid. If it’s not economically feasible, the funds will go to an organization approved by the court.

Technologies

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Might Come in 5G and 4G Cellular Models

If the rumor proves true, the 5G Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3 that debuted last fall.

Samsung’s next high-end Galaxy Watch could support faster 5G speeds, but if this leak is true, it will depend on where you live. The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might come in 5G and 4G cellular models, with availability for each smartwatch depending on the country.

According to the Dutch website Galaxy Club (and spotted by SamMobile), Samsung’s servers may have revealed a series of model numbers that point to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi-enabled editions of the next Galaxy Watch Ultra, which would succeed the original model that debuted in 2024.

A representative for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Galaxy Club website speculates that the 5G edition would be sold in the US and Korean markets, while the 4G edition would sell in the rest of the world. In the US, a 5G version of the Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3, which debuted last fall. The 4G edition would have broader compatibility worldwide, since the earlier network is far more established.

It will likely be a few months until we hear anything official about the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Samsung typically unveils its new watches in the summer alongside its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip foldable phones. Last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, but otherwise left the prior 2024 Ultra in the lineup for those looking for a larger 47mm smartwatch.