As privacy concerns surrounding wearable surveillance technology escalate, an increasing number of singles are reporting unsettling experiences with Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses during romantic encounters. The devices, which allow users to record video and capture photos from a first-person perspective, have drawn criticism for their potential use in non-consensual filming.
Courtney McAnuff, a 28-year-old project manager now residing in Toronto, recounted her experience from the summer of 2024. After meeting a man at a Manhattan bar, she noted he was wearing a low-brimmed baseball cap and black-framed glasses. When he revealed they were Meta Ray-Bans, he allowed her to try them on and showed her previous recordings. Believing the interaction was harmless, McAnuff did not dwell on it further.
The situation changed the following day when McAnuff discovered she had been tagged in a story post on Instagram. The video captured her from above while she sat across from her date at the bar and later on the subway. “I felt super violated,” McAnuff told WIRED. “He felt so free to film me and post it. There was no conversation about it.”
Meta reported sales of over 7 million pairs of the smart glasses in 2025. The hardware has become ubiquitous in public spaces, often utilized by content creators seeking viral moments. However, the technology has also attracted individuals looking to record unsuspecting people, earning the glasses the derogatory moniker “creep glasses” among some critics.
This trend has heightened anxiety among women on the dating scene. Online platforms have seen a surge in discussions regarding the ethics of wearing recording devices on dates. In August, a user on Bluesky described a date who leaned in to show pictures he had taken of her without her knowledge. Another TikToker expressed discomfort after a date, questioning why anyone would feel comfortable wearing a camera on their face while sitting across from someone.
Reddit threads have similarly highlighted the divide, with some users debating whether to continue a date if a partner is wearing the glasses, while others admitted to ending things after discovering their date had been recording them. One user shared that they had kissed a man while he was still wearing the device before realizing what had happened.
The issue has international implications as well. In July, South Korean authorities launched an investigation into a man accused of secretly filming four women he dated and subsequently uploading the footage to social media. As technology continues to reshape dating dynamics, the incident underscores growing tensions between innovation and personal privacy in intimate settings.
Meta needs to add visible LEDs when recording is active. The current tech is too discreet.
Is it really illegal to record in public? I’m confused about the legal boundaries here.
I had no idea they could film that easily. This changes how I view dating apps entirely.
Absolutely terrifying. Consent should be discussed before any recording happens, not after.