US Police Warn Meta Smart Glasses Could Be a Security Threat

Meta’s Starfire AI smart glasses, designed by Kylie Jenner.

Police forces across the U.S. are concerned that Meta smart glasses could be used to secretly record inside jails and police facilities and potentially aid acts of terrorism.

Meta smart glasses — now widely referred to as “Pervert Glasses” — are facing growing calls from countries and institutions to ban their use over privacy and surveillance concerns. According to a report by The Guardian, the U.S. police force and law enforcement agencies are now joining the growing list of institutions calling for restrictions on the wearable technology’s use.

Several U.S. police memos viewed by the news outlet warn that the wearable devices could be used for covert filming and potentially pose security and counterintelligence threats.

A January memo from the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) counterterrorism unit warned officers that smart glasses could be used to secretly capture footage inside law enforcement facilities. According to The Guardian, the department instructed officers to “conduct thorough inspections of all eyewear permitted within inmate cells,” citing concerns that arrested individuals could use glasses fitted with miniature cameras and microphones to document the inside of police facilities.

“The ability to covertly record inside a law enforcement or detention facility, could result in a security risk if proprietary information about cell layouts, camera placements, or officer patrol/site protection routines are released,” the memo reads.

Meta Smart Glasses Slip Through Security Checks

To illustrate the potential risk, the memo pointed to two videos shared on social media. One TikTok video uploaded in July 2025 showed the interior of a South Carolina detention center that was under federal investigation at the time over allegations of unsafe conditions. The footage captured inmate cells, areas used for washing and eating, and detainees who appeared not to realize they were being recorded.

“Everyone here is trying to figure out what’s going on with my glasses, why my light is blinking,” the wearer says in the viral video. “People don’t know about Meta glasses.”

U.S. detention facilities generally confiscate electronic devices that can record video, but some Meta smart glasses have reportedly slipped through those checks. The glasses’ understated design allows them to look much like ordinary Ray-Ban or Oakley sunglasses, making them difficult to identify at a glance. The clearest indication that they are recording is a small light near the edge of the frame that flashes when the camera is active.

The Guardian reports that police officers from Maine to California fear the devices could allow people to covertly film police personnel and facilities, while also potentially being used to facilitate criminal activity or acts of terrorism. Warnings have also been issued by the Department of Homeland Security’s joint counterterrorism assessment team, as well as fusion centers in New York, Maine, Virginia, Tennessee and San Diego. A Maine bulletin circulated in June highlighted another potential risk, noting that some glasses “can leverage AI software including facial recognition,” raising concerns that the technology could be used to identify and dox law enforcement officers.

The documents were obtained by transparency nonprofit Property of the People, whose executive director, Ryan Shapiro, argues that the U.S. police forces’ objection to Meta Smart glasses serves its own interests. According to Shapiro, the documents indicate that law enforcement wants surveillance tools and cameras to remain a one-way means of monitoring the public, without allowing the same technology to scrutinize authorities.

“These agencies surveil the public incessantly, but the moment we can watch them back, it’s deemed a security threat,” Shapiro tells The Guardian. “When only the government is allowed to hold the camera, that’s not security. It’s impunity.”

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