Tech
Instagram targets harassment videos shot with Meta Smart Glasses
ISLAMABAD – Instagram is taking action against videos recorded with Meta smart glasses that show creators harassing or exploiting strangers in public.
The crackdown focuses on disruptive prank videos targeting service workers, as well as “pickup” videos where women or other strangers are filmed without knowing. Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed the policy change via Instagram Stories.
“Instagram will remove content in which creators secretly record, harass, and upload footage of people,” Mosseri said. Meta’s existing community guidelines already prohibit bullying and harassment across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.
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Prank Videos Targeting Workers and Strangers
Videos filmed using Meta smart glasses have become increasingly common on Instagram Reels and TikTok. Some creators use the glasses to secretly record themselves performing pranks on cashiers, fast-food employees, and other service workers.
One viral example involved spraying a candle in a Walmart store with fart spray and asking employees or customers to smell it. Other videos show creators entering stores, behaving disruptively, and deliberately provoking reactions from staff and the public.
Pickup Videos Also Face Removal
Instagram is also targeting pickup videos filmed via smart glasses. In these videos, creators approach women in gyms, shops, or public spaces while recording from a first-person perspective.
While some interactions remain friendly, the person being approached often does not immediately know they are being filmed.
Business Insider reported that Instagram deactivated two major pickup-artist accounts that relied on smart glasses, each with more than a million followers. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the removals were for violating harassment rules, though the company did not disclose how many videos had been deleted.
Recording Lights Can Be Hard to Notice
Meta smart glasses feature a white indicator light that flashes while recording photos or videos. While the light is meant to alert nearby people, it can be difficult to see in bright outdoor conditions. Some users have even modified older glasses to cover or disable the light.
Meta Strengthens Protections
Meta’s second-generation smart glasses now automatically disable the camera if the system detects that the recording light has been covered. The company is expanding this protection to stop recording if the light is damaged.
Users cannot record until the light is fully operational. Meta also removes ads, posts, and Marketplace listings promoting services that modify the recording indicator. Accounts offering these services may be banned, and legal action may follow.
Ongoing Privacy Concerns
Meta glasses have drawn criticism for enabling first-person recording without holding a phone or traditional camera. Prank and pickup videos have heightened concerns about privacy and appropriate behaviour in public.
The glasses have even been given an offensive nickname online due to fears of unwanted recordings. Instagram’s crackdown does not prevent people from filming in public. Instead, it targets creators who use footage to harass, embarrass, or exploit others.
Meta has not clarified how it will identify all violating videos or whether new rules specifically for smart glasses content will be introduced.
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