Mark Zuckerberg admits to Joe Rogan that a simple hack to Meta's smart glasses could allow the user to secretly film others
Joe Rogan asked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg whether Meta's smart glasses are a concern if "some creep" can covertly take photos while wearing them.
Alex Kantrowitz
- Mark Zuckerberg joined "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast on Thursday and discussed Meta's smart glasses.
- Rogan asked Zuckerberg whether the smart glasses could pose a privacy threat.
- Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has occasionally faced backlash for its handling of privacy and data.
Joe Rogan challenged Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on whether Meta's smart glasses are a potential privacy concern on his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," on Thursday.
Zuckerberg, who joined the Spotify podcast for a 3-hour interview, defended the glasses but conceded it might be possible to covertly film with them.
The smart glasses, which Meta produces with Ray-Ban, were launched in September 2021 and come equipped with a small voice-activated camera and microphone in both corners of the glasses frame that allows users to take photos or videos.
Zuckerberg told Rogan the company "continues to work on new versions" of the glasses.
In one exchange, Rogan challenged Zuckerberg, asking whether such a discreet camera could bring about privacy concerns "if people can just start filming things."
The Meta CEO pushed back, saying the product comes with a light in the corner that flashes when videos or photos are being recorded. "That, I think, is a really important part of this," he said.
However, Rogan countered, asking whether "a creep" could just put a piece of tape over the light.
Zuckerberg acknowledged the possibility, saying, "I guess, in theory."
"It blinks, and it's a pretty active indicator," he said of the flashing light on the smart glasses. Zuckerberg also predicted a piece of tape could interfere with the glasses' camera.
Meta could not be immediately reached for comment about the exchange.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, is no stranger to privacy concerns. Recently, the company faced backlash for handing private Facebook messages over to police investigating an alleged illegal abortion in Nebraska.