Add The California Post on Google Meta’s push to bring artificial intelligence into everyday eyewear is facing growing legal scrutiny — with dozens of people alleging the company’s smart glasses captured private moments that were later viewed by overseas workers helping train its AI systems.
More than 70 people who purchased, used or were recorded by Meta’s smart glasses are suing the company, alleging sensitive photos and videos were sent to contractors in Kenya who review and label data used to improve Meta’s artificial intelligence.
The plaintiffs, including some in California, say the footage captured people undressing, using the bathroom, having sex and entering passwords, according to a proposed class-action lawsuit amended in late August. Some allege they did not know the glasses were recording.
One California plaintiff, identified as PL18, said he discovered images of relatives bathing and using the bathroom in his photo gallery after leaving his glasses on a bathroom counter.
“He noticed that at times photos of his family members using the bathroom and bathing began appearing in his gallery — footage no one in his household intended to take,” the lawsuit alleges.
The legal challenge comes as Meta prepares to unveil its latest wearable devices at its developers conference in Menlo Park on Sept. 23. The company markets its smart glasses as a hands-free way to take photos and videos, make calls, listen to audio and interact with Meta AI.
Tina Wolfson, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, told the Los Angeles Times the case also concerns people who may never have agreed to be recorded or have their images used to develop AI.
“People who bought these glasses and thought that they were cool gadgets weren’t aware that every time they activated AI, video was sent to train Meta’s AI,” Wolfson said.
Meta disputes the allegations and says it plans to fight the lawsuit. A company spokesperson told the Times that when people use Meta AI, some data may be reviewed to improve its products, adding that Meta takes steps to remove identifying information and protect privacy.
The lawsuit cites a February investigation by Swedish newspapers Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten, which interviewed more than 30 current and former employees of Meta subcontractor Sama and former Meta workers. Some contractors in Kenya said they reviewed images captured through Meta glasses and that people’s faces were sometimes visible despite efforts to blur them.
Plaintiffs allege video and audio can be transmitted to Meta when wearers activate the AI assistant by saying “Hey Meta,” and that the feature can sometimes be triggered unintentionally.
The legal scrutiny also extends to facial recognition technology Meta has considered for its glasses.
Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth discussed a potential feature known as “NameTag” in July that could help wearers remember the names of people they meet.
A separate proposed class-action lawsuit filed this month in Illinois alleges Meta used photographs publicly posted on Facebook and Instagram to train artificial intelligence that could eventually power NameTag and other facial-recognition tools.
California resident Jeremy Wahl is among the plaintiffs in that case. According to the lawsuit, Wahl posted photographs of himself and his daughter on Facebook and Instagram. His Instagram account is public, while his Facebook account was previously public.
Wahl alleges Meta never told him those photographs could be used to train NameTag and believes the company has used them for that purpose.
“People shouldn’t have to worry if their biometric information will be misused simply because their photographs appear on a social media platform,” Justin Boley, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, told the Times in a statement.
