On New Year’s Day, a man named Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 people and injuring many others. The FBI revealed that he was wearing Meta smart glasses during the planning and execution of the attack.
The glasses, introduced by Meta in 2023, are equipped with features like a camera, speaker, and AI assistant, allowing users to record videos, take photos, and even search the web. Although the glasses weren’t directly involved in the attack, their use in this situation raises concerns about how such technology could be misused.
Meta collaborated with Ray-Ban to design the glasses, which cost between $299 and $379. While the glasses have been praised for their innovative features, they’ve also faced criticism for privacy risks, such as the potential for secret recordings. In one instance, two Harvard students used the glasses to develop a facial recognition tool that could identify people in real time.
Market research shows smart glasses are still a niche product compared to popular wearables like smartwatches. However, sales are expected to grow in the future, with Meta already selling over 730,000 pairs since launch.
According to the FBI, Jabbar used the glasses to record video of Bourbon Street months before the attack. This discreet way of gathering information made it easier for him to scout the area without drawing attention. Experts believe such technology could increasingly be used in similar ways due to its convenience and subtlety.
Meta has stated it is cooperating with law enforcement but hasn’t commented further on the incident.