What Are the Meta Smart Glasses Worn by the New Orleans Attacker?

A man who killed 14 people in New Orleans on New Year’s Day had scouted the area and recorded video with Meta smart glasses, the FBI said.

The accused used the glasses in October to film while cycling through the French Quarter, planning the attack, according to FBI Special Agent Lyonel Myrthil.

During the attack, the man drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street. Investigators said he was wearing the glasses at the time, but there was no evidence he was recording.

The glasses, developed by Meta in collaboration with Ray-Ban, feature a camera, speaker, and AI assistant. They retail for $299 to $379 and offer capabilities similar to smartphones, including video recording.

The glasses have been criticised for privacy risks. Though a light signals recording, Harvard students showed they could be modified for real-time facial recognition, instantly retrieving biographical data.