Google’s new smart glasses, like Meta’s, light up to show when they’re recording. But once you know someone is recording, what do you do next?

That’s one of many key privacy issues Google and other tech companies are under pressure to solve as they bring new AI-powered glasses to market. Google on Thursday announced that the smart glasses it developed with Samsung and eyewear designers Warby Parker and Gentle Monster will launch on December 10. The release comes after Meta’s glasses have caused widespread controversy over their ability to discreetly record others, prompting bans in some venues in cities like New York and London.

None of this is lost on Google. The company says its glasses have additional privacy protections, like preventing the glasses from capturing faces when the camera is used to interact with Google’s AI agent, Gemini. But it still hasn’t solved the core privacy problem: Many people are generally uncomfortable with glasses that can record them without their consent, even with an indicator light. And that could present a major blow to the AI ambitions of companies like Google and Meta.

Juston Payne, senior director of product management at Google, told CNN the company is looking into new privacy features for its smart glasses, like more ways to alert bystanders when glasses are nearby.

But these systems are still in the early research and development phase and may not adequately solve every privacy headache.

Smart glasses on the rise

Google’s new glasses are meant for easier interactions with Gemini. They have cameras and microphones, which allow users to take photos and videos and speak to Google’s AI agent without taking out their phone.

During a demo of the glasses, CNN asked Gemini to suggest a mocktail recipe based on a list of ingredients on a table, for example.

The glasses come in styles designed by Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, with the former starting at $395 and the latter beginning at $449.

“The ability to see the world, hear the world, sense the world around the user, and also have fast real-time interactions with Gemini has always been one of the compelling use cases” for smart glasses, Shahram Izadi, who leads product development and strategy for devices like smart glasses at Google, told CNN.

Smart glasses are becoming increasingly popular despite the privacy concerns. Shipments increased by 54% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2026, according to market research firm The International Data Corporation, growing much more quickly than other types of wearable tech like wireless earbuds. EssilorLuxxotica, the eyewear giant that Meta partners with for its glasses, said earlier this year that 7 million pairs of its AI glasses were sold in 2025.

Still, many consumers are wary about smart glasses because of the privacy concerns they present, according to Benjamin Chan, an analyst at market research firm ABI Research.

Source: CNN