A video featuring Tolua Omitowoju has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on social media.
The woman was secretly filmed with Meta AI glasses and the video was posted without her consent, after which the clip quickly gained popularity. The scandal intensified when it was revealed that the recording indicator light can effectively be hidden, and a person nearby might not even realize they are being filmed.
Friends and acquaintances she hadn't spoken to in a long time started sending her links: "Is this you?" The video had already managed to spread across all platforms.
Omitowoju says she had no say in the matter. Other women have also reached out to her with similar stories—videos were posted under anonymous accounts, and the victims didn't even know who had filmed them.
Meta claims that the glasses have protective features. When recording is in progress, an LED indicator lights up. If someone tries to cover or disable it, the camera is supposed to turn off automatically.
CBS News journalist Anna Schecter tested this in practice. She covered the indicator with black electrical tape—and the recording continued without interruption.
After the test, Meta confirmed: when attempting to cover the indicator, the system should disable capture and issue a warning. The company continues to improve the technology.
In most U.S. states, one-party consent is sufficient to record a conversation—meaning only the person doing the filming needs to consent. With a regular phone, a person might still notice the camera and walk away. With glasses, that possibility is almost non-existent.
Instagram recently announced through Adam Mosseri that it will remove content that exploits people or subjects them to harassment. But the problem remains: how can you notice filming if the indicator can be hidden?
