Meta AI glasses' workers say they see 'everything': Users' bank details, toilet visits, sex acts

As the popularity grows of Meta AI glasses grows—over seven million units sold in 2025—the volume of sensitive recordings entering Meta’s training pipeline is expected to soar, along with pressure on regulators to act. (AI-generated image)

A disturbing investigation into Meta’s Ray‑Ban AI smart glasses has revealed that tech workers in Nairobi, Kenya, are being made to watch extraordinarily intimate footage recorded by unsuspecting users. According to reports published in Futurism and Swedish newspapers cited by the BBC, the glasses—marketed as safe, privacy‑focused wearables—are capturing and transmitting private moments straight for human review.

Workers contracted through Sama, a data‑annotation firm used by Meta, say they routinely handle clips showing individuals using the toilet, getting undressed, exposing bank cards, watching pornography, or engaging in sexual activity. Many users appear unaware that the glasses are recording, or that humans, not just algorithms, are reviewing the footage, The Kenya Times reported.

‘I don’t think they know’: Glasses keep recording even when users walk away

Annotators described scenarios in which wearers leave the glasses on a bedside table, only for a partner to walk into the room and begin changing clothes—completely unaware that a camera is still active, Sweden's Svenska Dagbladet reported.

Footage also includes highly sensitive financial information. In one instance, a worker says they clearly saw a user's debit card and account number, captured accidentally during a “live AI” interaction. One annotator told investigators: “We see everything – from living rooms to naked bodies.”

Despite Meta stating that AI footage is filtered and “sometimes” blurred before human review, workers insist these protections frequently fail. The BBC reports that regulators have contacted Meta over concerns tied to these failures.

The UK’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has begun contacting Meta for explanations, noting that devices processing highly personal data “must clearly explain what is collected and how it is used.”

Pressure, fear, and no room to complain

Multiple annotators say they feel compelled to watch and label whatever appears on their screen or risk losing their jobs. One worker told investigators, “You are not supposed to question it. If you start asking questions, you are gone.”

The rapid rise of Meta’s Ray‑Ban AI glasses—more than seven million units sold in 2025—has dramatically increased the volume of footage being sent to Kenyan annotators, many of whom are young, college‑educated workers earning low wages to sit through hours of explicit or invasive material.