Google touts privacy features for its new smart glasses

Google is introducing privacy-focused features for its first Android XR Intelligent Eyewear smart glasses, aiming to distinguish them from competitors like Meta's Ray-Ban glasses. The glasses, developed with Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster, are available for preorder and go on sale December 10.

A key feature is a physical power switch that turns off the glasses completely, allowing them to be worn as regular eyewear. A recording light illuminates when the glasses take a photo or video, and recording is capped at 90 seconds per clip to limit potential misuse.

Juston Payne, Google's senior director of product management for XR, said these are intentional design choices rather than difficult technical problems. He expressed hope that other companies would adopt similar practices, saying that glasses without good privacy algorithms should not launch again.

Privacy experts acknowledged Google's efforts but noted that smart glasses still raise concerns about surveillance and consent. Reem Suleiman of Fight for the Future warned that camera glasses could normalize mass surveillance, while Janusz Swierczynski of Oxford University said the measures address individual privacy but not the broader impact on bystanders.

Payne emphasized that clear communication about what the glasses do is essential, adding that rebuilding trust is necessary after past incidents involving camera glasses.