Police forces across the United States are warning each other about potential security threats posed by Meta's camera-equipped glasses being used to record inside jails and police facilities, according to internal memos obtained through freedom of information requests.
The New York Police Department's counterterrorism bureau circulated a memo in January describing Ray-Ban Meta glasses as a "security and counterintelligence" threat and instructing officers to inspect all eyewear permitted into inmate cells. The memo warned that covert recording could expose "cell layouts, camera placements, or officer patrol/site protection routines."
The NYPD memo referenced a video posted to TikTok in July 2025 showing the interior of a South Carolina detention center, including cells, facilities, and detainees apparently unaware they were being filmed.
Similar concerns have been raised by other agencies. The Department of Homeland Security's joint counterterrorism assessment team and fusion centers in New York, Maine, Virginia, Tennessee, and San Diego have circulated their own memos on the subject. Maine's June memo noted that some smart glasses can use artificial intelligence software including facial recognition, which could lead to the identification and exposure of officers.
Federal agencies have begun implementing their own restrictions. Immigration and Customs Enforcement informed staff in August that smart glasses are classified as body-worn cameras and cannot be worn in federal workspaces, citing concerns that they could "unintentionally capture, record or transmit sensitive information."
Meta stated that its glasses "are designed to be noticed," pointing to a blinking light that activates during recording as a distinguishing feature from ordinary Ray-Bans.
