Meta's AI-powered smart glasses captured intimate footage including people using bathrooms, having sex, and handling sensitive documents, which was then reviewed by human contractors in Kenya without the subjects' knowledge or consent.
Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, equipped with AI visual query functionality, have been capturing intimate and private footage that is subsequently reviewed by human contractors at Sama, a company based in Nairobi, Kenya. The glasses use voice commands like 'Hey Meta' to activate the AI assistant, but the system frequently activates accidentally, capturing unintended footage. Over 7 million pairs of these glasses have been sold as of 2025. The AI system processes visual data to answer user queries, and a portion of these interactions are sent to data annotators in Kenya for quality review to improve the AI responses. Workers report seeing footage of people going to the bathroom, changing clothes, having sex, watching pornography, and handling sensitive documents like bank cards. The glasses have an LED indicator when recording, but users often don't realize when the AI has been accidentally activated. Meta's terms of service state that interactions may be subject to human review, but there is no opt-out option for users. The footage includes both intentional recordings and accidental captures from inside users' homes and private spaces. Data protection experts have raised concerns about GDPR compliance and the lack of transparency about data processing.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
AI systems that memorize and leak sensitive personal data or infer private information about individuals without their consent. Unexpected or unauthorized sharing of data and information can compromise user expectation of privacy, assist identity theft, or cause loss of confidential intellectual property.
AI system
Due to a decision or action made by an AI system
Unintentional
Due to an unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed
