The UK’s data watchdog has said claims that contractors viewed sensitive footage captured by Meta’s AI smart glasses are “concerning.”
Speaking to BBC News this week, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) confirmed it will contact the technology company to request further information following an investigation by Swedish newspapers Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten.
The investigation reported that outsourced workers reviewing data used to train Meta’s artificial intelligence systems were sometimes able to view highly sensitive recordings captured by the company’s smart glasses, including bank details, individuals having sex, using the bathroom, or viewing pornography.
“We see everything – from living rooms to naked bodies,” one worker reportedly said.
The workers cited in the investigation were data annotators employed by the Nairobi-based outsourcing firm Sama, which carries out annotation work used to train artificial intelligence systems.
According to the report, the workers reviewed images, videos and transcripts from interactions with Meta’s AI in order to label the content and determine whether the system had responded appropriately to user questions.
The ICO expressed concern about the claims and said it would seek clarification from Meta regarding its obligations under UK data protection law.
“The claims in this article are concerning,” an ICO spokesperson said.
“We will be writing to Meta to request information on how it is meeting its obligations under UK data protection law.
“Devices processing personal data, including smart glasses, should put users in control and provide for appropriate transparency.
“Service providers must clearly explain what data is collected and how it is used.”
Speaking to Gript, Meta said that they strongly valued user privacy.
“Ray-Ban Meta glasses help you use AI, hands free, to answer questions about the world around you,” a Meta spokesperson told Gript.
“When people share content with Meta AI, like other companies we sometimes use contractors to review this data to improve people’s experience with the glasses, as stated in our Privacy Policy.”
“This data is first filtered to protect people’s privacy. We take the protection of people’s data very seriously, and we’re continuously refining our efforts and tools in this area.”
The company also stated that its terms of service make clear that users are responsible for complying with laws and respecting the privacy of others when using the devices.
“Unlike smartphones, our glasses come equipped with an LED light that activates whenever someone captures content, like photos or videos, that the user can store or share, making it unequivocally clear that content is being captured,” the spokesperson said.
“And as with any recording device, people shouldn’t use them for engaging in harmful activities like harassment, infringing on privacy rights, or capturing sensitive information.”
According to the investigation, workers reviewing data for Meta allegedly described seeing a wide range of content captured by the glasses, including recordings made inside homes.
In one instance cited in the report, a worker said a pair of glasses had been left recording in a bedroom where a woman was later filmed undressing.
Sources interviewed by the Swedish newspapers also claimed that automated filtering intended to obscure faces sometimes failed, allowing reviewers to see individuals clearly.
Meta says users must manually activate recording through a button or voice command, and the device displays a light on the frame whenever video or images are being captured.
The company states in its AI terms of service that interactions with its systems may be reviewed either automatically or manually, including by human reviewers, in some cases.
AI-powered wearable devices have expanded rapidly in recent years, with several technology companies developing products capable of recording and analysing the user’s surroundings.
Features offered by these devices can include translating written text, identifying objects or locations, and answering questions about what the wearer is looking at.
The technology has also prompted privacy concerns, with some people reporting being filmed without their consent by users of smart glasses in public places.