Law enforcement agencies in several regions of the United States have recently communicated with each other, reminding officers to be vigilant about smart glasses equipped with cameras, identified as Meta, entering prisons, police stations, and federal office areas. Multiple internal memos obtained through public information requests indicate that such devices are considered a security risk by some agencies, as they are capable of recording footage at locations that are not easily noticed.
New York police require inspection of glasses for use in prison
In January this year, the Counter-Terrorism Department of the New York Police Department issued a memorandum classifying Ray - Ban Meta glasses as a "security and counter-intelligence" risk, and required officers to inspect all glasses that are allowed to be brought into the detention cells of incarcerated individuals. The document stated that if someone were to secretly film inside the facility, it could expose the layout of the cells, the locations of cameras, as well as the patrol and security arrangements of the officers.
The memorandum mentions a video published in TikTok in July 2025. The video was filmed at a detention center in South Carolina, and it shows cells, a washing area, a dining area, as well as detainees who seem to be unaware of what is going on. The person wearing the glasses in the video stated that the personnel on site were paying attention to the flashing indicator lights of the glasses, but they did not understand the purpose of the Meta glasses.
Institutions in multiple places are concerned about the uses of facial recognition
Similar warnings subsequently appeared at other institutions in the United States. Reports mentioned that the Department of Homeland Security's Joint Counter-Terrorism Assessment Team, as well as intelligence collaboration centers in New York State, Maine, Virginia, Tennessee, and San Diego, had all issued related alerts.
A memorandum circulated in Maine in June this year pointed out that some smart glasses can utilize AI software, which includes facial recognition capabilities, and this could be used to identify and expose the identity information of law enforcement officers. Law enforcement agencies are concerned that such features could transform images, which are originally limited to the scene, into personal information that can be retrieved and disseminated.
Federal agencies begin to restrict internal wearing
Federal agencies have also begun to impose restrictions on their staff. In August of this year, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) notified its employees that smart glasses should be considered portable video recording devices and should not be worn in federal office areas. The reason is that such devices may inadvertently capture, record, or transmit sensitive information.
Meta told the media that this pair of glasses is "designed to draw attention to the fact that it is in use," and mentioned that there is a flashing indicator light during recording. However, reports indicate that this indicator light is the most noticeable visual difference between it and ordinary Ray-Ban glasses, but in real-life scenarios, it may not be sufficient to allow people around to recognize it in time.
The controversy does not come only from the law enforcement system.
The controversy surrounding the Meta smart glasses does not come only from law enforcement agencies. Reports mention that the company has also been questioned this year for secretly photographing women, outsourcing the review of private images to third parties, and planning to add facial recognition features.
The US transparency organization that obtained these files, Property, of, the, and People, believes that law enforcement agencies' response to such devices is selective. The organization points out that government departments have long relied on monitoring tools, but when the public is also able to use video recording devices to document law enforcement scenes in reverse, the relevant agencies then define them as a security threat.
