Who could have predicted? Glasses that allow anyone to be filmed without their knowledge, at any time, tend to cause the worst behavior among their users. This is the case of the new Ray-Ban Meta, equipped with two cameras and which are very successful with influencers who are fans of pranks cruel and other misogynistic perverts.
According to the media Futurism, this phenomenon is a perfect illustration of the English slang term “glass hole”composed of the word “glass” (which means glasses), contracted with the word “asshole” (a very colorful insult designating an asshole). Many “glassholes» are already using Meta glasses to film pranks mainly targeting women, employees or homeless people.
Of course, connected glasses are not in themselves responsible for these deplorable behaviors. In addition to the full responsibility of the authors of these prankssocial media should certainly be added to the list of factors, since it is a boon for people seeking Internet fame. Imagine the potential this technology offers to an Instagram account that films women’s buttocks without their consent, or to another that infiltrates massage parlors to ogle masseuses.
A scourge already widespread
Unfortunately, in the United States, these recordings are generally legal if done in public places. However, according to Brad Podray, content creator formerly known as Scumbag Daddebating their legality is perhaps missing the point. He states: “I know it’s legal. I don’t care, that’s not the point. I find it bizarre and disturbing, and it reveals a very predatory mentality.”
The appeal of connected glasses, again according to Brad Podray, lies in their relatively low price and the possibility for creators to capture the spontaneous reactions of the people they harass. This then gives their content a more authentic appearance and restores importance to the genre of prank videos which had lost its appeal when many channels started featuring them.
“A lot of women we meet randomly won’t want to take part in a skit if we ask them to, so we take away all control from them by just wearing the glasses.”adds Brad Podray.
Unlike Google’s first attempt at smart glasses in 2014, it seems that this time around, Meta’s technology is here to stay. The popularity of Ray-Ban Meta has opened up a new market and many imitators are already engaged in a veritable arms race to make their smart glasses as ethically dubious as possible, including with a little help from AI or facial recognition software.
