Woman praised for breaking man's Meta smart glasses on subway

More than ten years ago, Google introduced Google Glass, a wearable device that ignited widespread debate about privacy and covert recording in public spaces. Back then, critics coined the term glasshole to describe users who seemed unconcerned with others privacy.

Fast forward to today, Meta has attempted a comeback with its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Despite technological improvements over Google Glass, the ethical controversy surrounding recording strangers without consent remains largely unchanged.

Recently, a New York subway rider claimed that a woman deliberately broke his Meta glasses, as reported by Daily Dot. The TikTok user, known as eth8n, posted a video that quickly went viral with millions of views, captioned: She just broke my Meta glasses.

After exiting the train, the man shouted at the woman: Youre going to be famous on the internet! She looked back at him calmly, seemingly unbothered. In a follow-up video, the rider insisted he had not interacted with her prior to the incident and had even offered his seat when she boarded at 42nd Street, continuing to stand throughout the ride.

The public reaction, however, sided overwhelmingly with the woman. Many online praised her as a hero, reflecting widespread discomfort with wearable cameras like Metas glasses. Comments included: Good, people are tired of being filmed by strangers, and I hope she called him a dork for wearing them before she broke them. Some users doubted the mans version of events, questioning the storys plausibility.

Although Meta included a small LED light to indicate when the glasses are recording, it can be easily covered, allowing for secret filming. Stickers designed to conceal this light are reportedly available for purchase.

Meanwhile, eth8n claims to have filed a police report, labeling the incident a misdemeanor assault. He stated, What she did was assault, can get arrested for it if I see her again and felt like it. It is uncertain whether the woman will face legal consequences or if the publics support will prevent any action against her.

Author: Sophia Brooks