Celebrity Backlash Against Smart Glasses Intensifies
▼ Summary
– Smart glasses have reached peak popularity, with Meta selling millions and other tech giants showing interest, but face significant backlash from celebrities like Lorde.
– During a festival sponsored by Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, Lorde publicly cursed the glasses, citing difficulty in distinguishing them from normal glasses with cameras.
– Kylie Jenner co-designed the Starfire Kylie Edition of Meta’s smart glasses, representing a major celebrity endorsement that contrasts with the backlash.
– Tyler the Creator also criticized smart glasses on Instagram, calling users “real weirdos” and linking to an article about surveillance concerns.
– The celebrity backlash could shape social perception, as seen with Google Glass’s failure due to the “glasshole” stigma, making public opinion a key factor in smart glasses’ future.
Smart glasses are enjoying a level of popularity unlike anything the category has seen before. Meta alone has sold millions of units, and Apple is reportedly exploring the space, with Google and Samsung waiting in the wings. Yet for every step these devices take toward the mainstream, a vocal contingent pushes back, and some of those voices belong to major celebrities.
During a recent festival performance, Lorde made her feelings unmistakably clear. “Can I just say, for the record, f*ck the glasses,” she said from the stage, expressing frustration over how difficult it is to tell whether someone is wearing ordinary eyewear or a camera-equipped smart pair. The moment was especially pointed because the festival itself was sponsored by the very product she was criticizing: Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses.
This kind of raw sentiment isn’t entirely new. Many people dislike the idea of wearable cameras and the surveillance implications they carry. But seeing such a direct, unprompted attack from a major artist on a non-political stage is rare. The timing is also notable, coming on the heels of what may be the biggest celebrity endorsement the category has ever seen. Kylie Jenner helped design the Starfire Kylie Edition of Meta’s smart glasses, and a major advertising campaign featuring her has pushed the product even further into the mainstream.
Lorde is not the only famous figure pushing back. Tyler, the Creator recently called out Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses on Instagram, writing, “Anyone who uses these glasses is a real weirdo,” and linking to a Wired article about surveillance and smart eyewear.
The most significant aspect of this celebrity backlash may be its potential impact on public perception. When Google Glass tried and failed to gain traction in 2013, the decisive blow wasn’t regulation or policy. It was social stigma. People largely avoided the product because they didn’t want to be seen as a “glasshole.” And when it comes to shaping public opinion, celebrities wield far more influence than court rulings or government guidelines.
The real question now is which vision of the future will prevail: Kylie Jenner’s glamorous, tech-forward co-sign or Lorde’s defiant rejection from the stage.
(Source: Gizmodo.com)
