Photo by José Luis Photographer on Pexels

Meta has revised the privacy policy for its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, intensifying its focus on AI model training. The updated policy, effective April 29th, increases the amount of data collected from users. The most significant change involves ‘Hey Meta’ functionality; users must disable this voice command entirely if they wish to prevent continuous analysis of captured photos and videos for AI training purposes. This means the glasses will now more actively analyze visual data to improve Meta AI. Furthermore, Meta has removed the option to opt-out of voice recording storage, a move similar to Amazon’s policies. Voice recordings, unless deemed accidental (and deleted after 90 days), will be stored for up to a year to enhance Meta’s products. Users can still manually delete recordings through settings. The updated policy allows Meta to gather more comprehensive data for its AI initiatives, including the recently launched live translation feature for the glasses and the standalone Meta AI app. Meta aims to compete directly with AI powerhouses like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. The company is also developing a premium version of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, anticipated for a potential 2025 release, with a price point potentially reaching $1,000. The current models retail for $299. Meta is expected to address these privacy policy changes, along with ongoing tariff concerns, during its Q1 2025 earnings report on Wednesday. [Updated April 30th with clarification on Meta AI with camera use.]