For years, Americans have worried about surveillance cameras mounted on buildings, government facial-recognition systems and smartphones quietly collecting enormous amounts of personal data.
But the next stage of surveillance may not be mounted on a wall or sitting in someone’s hand.
It may be sitting on someone’s face.
Meta has filed a patent describing AI-powered smart glasses capable of using facial recognition to identify people in the wearer’s field of view, analyze facial expressions, track the wearer’s gaze and use relationship data to determine which people and moments deserve attention.
The system could then automatically create clips and highlight reels from what the wearer has seen.
A patent does not guarantee that every feature will reach consumers. But it reveals something important about where wearable technology may be headed.
The question is no longer simply whether someone can record you.
The question is whether the glasses on a stranger’s face may eventually be able to identify you, interpret your reaction and decide that your interaction is worth saving.
That represents a profound change in the meaning of privacy.