Since Meta launched its AI-powered Ray-Bans, which can record video and audio as well as make calls, there’s been a growing privacy backlash against the specs, with many dubbing them “pervert” glasses after they were reportedly used to film people without their consent. (…)
Never one to miss an opportunity to take a public swipe at big tech, the alternative search engine DuckDuckGo has now launched a new range of glasses in collaboration with the San Diego firm Knockaround (…)
The twist: with their permanent offline mode, zero cameras and mics, no AI or electronics of any kind, the “California cool” Paso Robles have been hailed as “the world’s most innovative anti-surveillance sunglasses,” AKA "Normal F***ing Sunglasses” according to Knockaround’s website.
This was entirely predictable, and it’s remarkable that Meta could not foresee the PR nightmare.
Good on DuckDuckGo and Knockaround. Also, the marketing is brilliant.
Meta is completely aware of the pr nightmare this would cause. They don’t care. Collecting data at literally any cost is their business. No cost is too high.