Smart glasses generate both fascination and controversy: why they're trending in Argentina

With these glasses, you can record videos and take photos just by saying "Hey Meta," make calls, listen to music, and, most innovatively, broadcast live to Instagram or Facebook without taking your phone out of your pocket. All of this is connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

In recent days, these Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses have gone viral on Argentine social media for less than pleasant reasons.

It all began with suspicions that medical residency applicants had cheated on their exams, and a young Ecuadorian man found himself in the spotlight after a video went viral showing him wearing Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses during the test.

The video, whose authenticity was confirmed by official sources, reveals how the candidate used these glasses to discreetly record the 100 exam questions and then, from the bathroom, send the images to third parties to receive the answers in real time.

Although the glasses went unnoticed, the exam results did not , as the grades were higher than ever and a large number of candidates achieved outstanding scores, something that set off alarm bells. Following the controversy, stricter measures were taken, and new tests will be administered, requiring everyone to submit their papers, including their honest study and passing scores.

The Argentine case is the most recent, but it's not the only worrying one. Harvard students created I-XRAY , a system that uses smart glasses and artificial intelligence to identify people in real time. They transmitted what they saw to a computer, which, using the PimEyes search engine , cross-referenced images with public databases to obtain names and addresses.

They tested the system in public spaces and managed to "dox" (which means accessing private information) strangers without their consent. They even pretended to know them using the data. Although it was only an academic experiment, the case underscores how easily current technology can violate privacy.

Also controversial was the case in Barcelona where a young man was arrested for filming hundreds of women without their consent using Meta's Ray-Ban glasses to record conversations and intimate situations.

The man approached women on the street, filmed them with his glasses (hiding the small light that indicates they were recording), and then shared these videos, which were supposedly part of a "seduction course" he was selling. The arrest came after some of the women involved realized their videos were going viral on social media.

For Meta, the glasses are designed based on principles of transparency. But experts warn that technology is moving faster than local legislation. In Argentina, Law 25.326 protects personal data, but there is no specific regulation on wearable devices with integrated cameras.

However, it's worth remembering that filming or photographing people without their express consent is prohibited unless it is a matter of public interest. The law also protects the "right to one's own image" (Article 31 of the Civil and Commercial Code).

Although these Meta glasses are the best-known on the market, they're not the only ones. Several brands are betting on this format because they're user-friendly and less intrusive than virtual and augmented reality headsets. Google, for example, introduced Android XR, a pair of glasses connected to the Gemini AI, in May.

Beyond questionable uses, Ray-Ban Meta has also been well received by content creators, tourists, athletes, and people with visual impairments.

Although it's not a perfect device, many people on social media, and especially YouTube, have written reviews highlighting the gadget's highs and lows. One of the most detailed analyses is by Domingo Gomes , a popular content creator with over a million subscribers on YouTube who is known for his original and honest way of describing products.

The one who truly sees enormous potential is Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. During a recent company earnings call, according to Business Insider, he stated: “Devices like the RayBan Meta let you see what you see, hear what you hear, and talk to yourself throughout the day. Not wearing them will be like having poor vision and not wearing corrective lenses.”

There are currently three Ray-Ban Meta models on the international market.

• Basic Wayfarer: $329
• Wayfarer Transitions and Skyler (new model): $379
• Headliner Low Bridge Fit : U$D299.

In Argentina, although they are not directly available in official Ray-Ban stores, they can be found on sites like MercadoLibre through importers. However, the price in dollars abroad here translates to around one million pesos, significantly higher than the price they should have after direct currency conversion.

The most common option for many Argentinians is also to purchase these smart glasses abroad. Not only is this a great savings compared to what it costs to buy them in the country, but many also take advantage of them by creating subjective videos to improve their content or by writing reviews of the product itself.

The Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses fascinate with their design and effortless ability to capture reality. But, as with every new technology, the problem isn't the device itself, but how we use it.

If we've already discussed the limits of cell phone use in relationships, recitals, or classrooms, now we must consider how to regulate something that "looks" without appearing to do so.

Technology clearly advances faster than any legislation, but it shouldn't be faster than common sense. The ability to capture the world from the POV (Point of View) trend is practical and fun thanks to smart glasses. However, the limit to not encroaching on others' privacy shouldn't come from regulations, but from ourselves.

But beyond ethical issues, we must ask ourselves to what extent we want to live in a reality mediated by AI and internet connections. Talking on the phone, listening to music, obtaining information, taking photos and videos, and many other things without using a cell phone and simply by asking with our voice are very useful options, but should they be used constantly? Do we have to inform our interlocutor that even though we're looking at them, we're actually seeing them through a screen? Do we have to capture all experiences in videos that we may never see again, as is already the case with those we take with our phones? Do we have to take off our glasses at work or at gatherings with friends so as not to cause discomfort?

Smart glasses invite a new conversation: between the public and the private, between convenience and ethics. And that conversation, for better or worse, is already underway.