Ray-Ban Meta: four privacy toggles to check before wearing

Engadget details four Meta AI settings that control voice recordings, cloud backups, usage analytics and visual AI training. Creators and operators wearing smart glasses should review them before capturing client or community content.

What happened

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have been criticized for the many ways they can violate people's privacy. An Engadget guide walks through four settings in the Meta AI app: "Hey Meta" preferences, Cloud media, Share additional data, and Store visual data from AI experiences.

Each control changes a different part of the data pipeline. Voice activation listens for the wake phrase; Cloud media copies gallery captures to Meta servers for up to 30 days; optional additional data includes usage analytics on which features you use and how often; visual AI requests send images to Meta's servers to generate answers. The settings are spread across Glasses privacy and Meta AI menus, and several convenience features stop working when collection is limited.

Key facts

• When "Hey Meta" voice activation is on, the glasses are always listening for the wake phrase. In the US, users can no longer prevent Meta from storing recordings of AI voice interactions in the cloud; they can manually delete saved recordings.
• If Cloud media is enabled, Meta can keep copies of gallery photos and videos on its servers for up to 30 days. Turning it off removes cloud-based features such as voice-controlled photo sharing and autocapture.
• Meta says ordinary gallery captures aren't used to train its AI models or serve ads, regardless of the Cloud media setting. Disabling Cloud media won't prevent images from being sent to Meta when you ask the assistant a visual question.
• The optional Share additional data setting covers usage analytics on which features you use and how often. Turning it off does not change the way you engage with photos, make calls, or listen to music, and does not delete data Meta has already collected.
• In September 2026, Meta introduced an option to stop visual data from smart glasses interactions from being used for AI training. Visual reminders may no longer work after opting out, and the setting must be changed separately on each pair, including first-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

Our analysis

The biggest risk is fragmentation. Gallery captures and Meta AI visual requests follow different rules. A creator may turn off Cloud media and assume photos are local, but a visual question about a product, menu, or branded space still sends image data to Meta for processing. That distinction matters for event coverage, office tours, or any setting where competitors, clients, or unreleased products are visible.

Voice activation is another passive exposure. Since US users cannot opt out of cloud storage for AI voice interactions, leaving "Hey Meta" on creates a dual problem: accidental wake-word triggers during normal conversation and stored recordings that must be manually deleted. For teams or creators who share glasses or wear them in working sessions, this likely creates recurring privacy and confidentiality work, not a set-and-forget action.

The September 2026 visual AI opt-out is meaningful, but it has limits. Meta says it still has to process images to provide answers, and the setting does not clear previously processed visual information or alter voice interactions. That suggests operators should treat past interactions as still potentially retained and treat each pair of glasses as a separate device with its own settings.

What it means for operators

• Disable "Hey Meta" before wearing the glasses in meetings, events, or content shoots. Use the right-temple touchpad to call the assistant so the microphones are not always listening for the wake phrase, and manually delete any previous voice interactions under Glasses privacy > Voice activity log.
• Turn off Cloud media unless you specifically need voice-controlled photo sharing or autocapture. Import captures to your phone directly, and review iCloud or Google Photos auto-backup settings, because imported photos may still be backed up elsewhere.
• Turn off Share additional data in Glasses privacy. This reduces usage analytics on which features you use and how often without impacting photos, calls, or music.
• For visual AI use, disable Store visual data from AI experiences. Do this separately on each pair, and avoid asking the assistant about confidential materials, client work, or private spaces. Expect visual reminders to stop working after opt-out.