Courtney McAnuff found herself in an uncomfortable situation after agreeing to a date with a potential suitor in New York. He arrived wearing Meta Ray-Bans, smart glasses that can record images and video. Despite her initial curiosity, McAnuff soon felt violated when she saw footage of their date posted to Instagram.

The incident sparked a broader debate among singles, particularly women, who are increasingly uneasy about being covertly filmed on dates. One woman on Bluesky stated that she ‘leaned over to show me pictures he took of me I had no idea he was taking.’

Professor Gary Lewandowski of Monmouth University suggests that the trend is driven by men’s desire for post-date analysis, enabling them to identify their own blind spots. However, he warns that such surveillance can undermine the very essence of a date – the opportunity to get to know someone organically.

Legal and ethical concerns have also arisen as Meta and EssilorLuxottica, the owners of Ray-Bans, face a class action lawsuit for capturing and storing private data without consent. Additionally, Meta has disabled the recording function for users who tampered with the warning light on the glasses.