Meta made a remarkable move that shows it is taking seriously the mounting privacy concerns of its camera-equipped smart glasses by getting a patent for hardware-level “kill switch.” The patent granted just recently talks about a hardware privacy mute circuit which would be used in consumer devices such as augmented reality eyewear. The drawings included in the patent application look like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses as sold now. This design would physically interrupt the power supply to the sensors and the cameras instead of using software settings that a determined person can bypass. This decision came in the wake of months of criticisms.
People who wear the glasses have used the cameras discretely to record people in public spaces restaurants theatres, and other places without their agreement and so, some pubs and restaurants in the UK and elsewhere banned the glasses. Critics have nicknamed them “pervert glasses, ” and there has even been an emerging market for devices that disable or remove the front-facing LED that is supposed to indicate when recording is going on. In response, Meta initially rolled out mandatory firmware updates that first one would forever disable the camera if the LED is destroyed, or one is removed from its position, while a later update would stop recording immediately when the light is covering during filming.
These software protections can still be circumven ted by someone determined, and that is why the hardware solution has generated so much interest. Per the patent, the mute circuit will carry a privacy setting that can be altered only at the hardware level. Sensors, once activated, would be isolated through an electrical means this way ensuring even software commands from the internet as well as exploits would not be able to reactivate them.
Meta’s explanation of the method is that through hardware protection it becomes “tamper-resistant privacy controls that cannot be compromis ed via software exploits.” In reality, a physical switch or something along similar lines can be used by the glass’s user to indicate to people nearby that the glasses, at least temporarily, are not active. Then, during this time they, in effect, become normal eyewear. The patent says the name Ray-Ban has not been used, yet given these circumstances and the designs of the glasses, people think of this change as a response to current product issues.
A granted patent does not equate to having the feature. So far, Meta has not made any official announcement on if or when the kill switch will be part of its glasses. In case they go ahead with the hardware changes, a physical button will have to be added that is quite noticeable and at the same time reliable that people see that the wearer is turning the recording functionality on/off. Also, they have to guarantee that the kill switch can not be easily bypassed.
Also, there will remain the issues whether the users are going to be the ones turning it on and off and how they are going to know, maybe a regulation or a venue, that a switch is Yes engaged. Yet, the company’s filing indicates that they see limitations with only software-based safeguards and that physical and much more secure off state might be required in order for smart glasses to become a widespread trend. Trust in the devices at the moment is still basically based on individual users. But if there is a feature like killing switches, venues might rely less on users’ trust.
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