They were labelled 'pervert glasses'. Will a camera-free version transform their image?

ByZoe Kleinman, Technology editor and Luke Mintz, BBC News When Meta first launched its AI-powered smart glasses in 2023, in collaboration with the trendy sunglasses brand Ray-Ban, it unleashed a storm of controversy. There have been multiple reports of the devices being used to harass women and girls in particular, filming them without their consent, then sharing the footage. The image problem doesn't seem to have been cured by Meta's enlistment this summer of Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian's sister, as their prime model. The devices have been dubbed "pervert" or "creepy" glasses. In the UK, JD Wetherspoon pubs, a handful of major theatres, Comic-Con, some schools, and Faslane, home of the UK's nuclear submarines, have all chosen to ban them. On Thursday, Meta is unveiling a new version which does not contain a camera at all, called Ray-Ban Meta Audio. They will have the audio functions of the original glasses - including the ability to make phone calls or play music, with the sound funnelled directly into your ear - but with fewer implications for privacy. To some in the industry, it looks like an interesting pivot - a response, perhaps, to the backlash over privacy. Image source, Image caption, Mark Zuckerberg - who wore a set at an event in California last year - predicts that smart glasses will replace mobile phones The tech giant denies that the new glasses have been rushed out in response to public anger. They say the product has been in development for two years. The audio-only version is cheaper than its camera-enabled cousins, and Meta says it has a lighter frame and better battery life. When I put it to Meta Glasses' head of product Ankit Brahmbhatt that I thought they might overtake the original camera-enabled glasses in sales, there was a pregnant pause. "We have, I think, something for everyone," he said, choosing his words very carefully. Does the release of a camera-free option represent a shift in how tech companies future of smart glasses? And is Meta's original vision getting further away? Or should we see camera-free glasses as a niche side-product that serves a small market - a bit like how some mobile manufacturers are now releasing internet-disabled "brick" phones for people who are tired of social media? Music, maps, and washing cars There's no doubt that smart glasses have become controversial. I was lent a pair of Meta Ray-Bans – with cameras - to try out.