Apple Delays Smart Glasses Over Privacy Concerns, Aims To Avoid Meta's Mistakes
· Free Press Journal
Apple has reportedly pushed back the launch of its smart glasses in order to spend additional time strengthening the device's privacy features. The delay comes as Meta's smart glasses continue to draw criticism over concerns that the devices can quietly capture photos and videos without people nearby being aware, given the small size of their cameras.
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Meta's existing safeguards seen as insufficient
Meta has attempted to address these concerns by adding a small indicator light that switches on while its glasses are recording or capturing photos, with the device also programmed to stop recording if the light is tampered with. However, these measures have not been enough to fully ease privacy worries surrounding the product, according to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
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According to the report, Apple's Vision hardware team has made privacy its foremost priority while developing the smart glasses, aiming to avoid the criticism Meta has faced. Rather than asking users to simply trust the device, Apple is said to be building privacy-first features directly into the hardware and software. These reportedly include processing data on the device itself rather than relying heavily on cloud servers, doing away with facial recognition, and dropping a Meta-style "super-sensing" mode that continuously analyses a user's surroundings. The company is also said to be planning to stop contractors from reviewing footage captured through the glasses.
Gurman said Apple is "prototyping a slew of new hardware and software-related privacy features not available on current products."
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The report notes that Apple is weighing two different approaches to make its glasses more privacy-friendly. The first involves removing the camera altogether, which would still allow users to access AI-powered features, make phone calls, and listen to audio, but without the ability to capture photos or record videos. The second approach would retain a camera but restrict it from capturing actual photos or videos, instead limiting it to collecting environmental data solely to support AI-based features.
Launch timeline pushed to 2027
Apple had originally planned to unveil its smart glasses later this year. However, the company is now reportedly aiming to introduce the device at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June next year, with a commercial launch expected by the end of 2027.