A TikToker is urging others to rethink how they use wearable tech after a sobering realization turned her vacation memories into a source of regret.
Deena Lang took her Meta smart glasses on a trip abroad, excited to document her experience with the hands-free device.
But when she reviewed the footage from her husband’s camera after attending a cooking class in France, it became clear that not everyone was thrilled to be part of her content.
“When I saw this footage taken from [my husband’s] perspective my stomach dropped,” she admitted.
A woman brought her Meta glasses into a cooking class, but instead of capturing memories, she ended up recording everyone’s discomfort
Image credits: TikTok/itsdeenalang
Lang had been using the glasses to capture the trip from her point of view, switching between her own recordings and her husband’s more traditional footage. Her experiment was a success, but getting into a closed space with others presented a new host of issues.
Image credits: TikTok/itsdeenalang
While the cooking class had openly welcomed photos and video recordings, no one anticipated that a participant would show up wearing a device specifically designed to pass as a regular pair of glasses.
Lang also never informed the group she was filming, and the Meta glasses’ covert appearance meant most people didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late.
Image credits: Meta
Although the glasses emitted a faint recording light, it wasn’t immediately obvious. It was Lang’s behavior, such as speaking mid-recording and looking directly at others, that eventually gave her away.
“I unintentionally made people super uncomfortable,” she admitted.
At the time, she says, it didn’t occur to her that Meta glasses might be seen differently than pulling out a phone or camera.
Tech giants such as Meta and OpenAI are spearheading the market of wearable, AI-powered, tech devices
Image credits: TikTok/itsdeenalang
Meta’s smart glasses were pitched as the next frontier of wearable tech.
Outfitted with a discreet camera, speakers, microphones, and AI-powered voice activation, they offer wearers the ability to take photos, record short videos, listen to music, and get real-time translation without using their hands.
Image credits: TikTok/itsdeenalang
But the very thing that makes them appealing to buyers has also turned them into a lightning rod for criticism.
A major concern is that the glasses can record without drawing attention. Unlike a smartphone, which is held up and visible, Meta glasses allow users to capture footage in a way that crosses the line between recording and surveillance.
And that’s exactly what seemed to happen in Lang’s case.
Many viewers questioned the usage of the Meta glasses, considering them intrusive and uncomfortable
Image credits: TikTok/itsdeenalang
Image credits: Instagram/itsdeenalang
Lang’s video immediately caused debate among her viewers, with many questioning her decision to bring the device into an event such as a cooking class.
“Why does everything need to be recorded?” a follower asked.
“Why are you so desperate to seem cool and cutting edge that you’d voluntarily buy a surveillance device and strap it to your face?” another added.
@itsdeenalang meta glasses are SO cool… until they’re not i was just looking through the shared vacation folder my husband and i have and when i saw this footage taken from his perspective my stomach dropped. he was recording me as a joke because I’m admittedly the world’s worst cook and I’m SUPER awkward in the kitchen big sorry to everyone i made this cooking class less enjoyable for i keep seeing stories about people wearing these in super inappropriate places / settings – doctors offices, waxing centers and whatnot… technology is only awesome when it’s in the right hands and in this instance it wasn’t lesson learned. I’ll be wearing them responsibly and getting permission before recording in public places from now on #raybanmeta #metaglasses #contentcreators #creatorsoftiktok #fyp ♬ Brain Stew Know Good Flip – Know Good
Others saw her experience as an example of the way technology has advanced in recent years, with AI-powered devices and social media making their way into every facet of people’s lives.
“We have literally become the society that was feared. Everything is recorded, conversations, intimate moments, serious moments,” a user lamented.
“Morals and standards are no longer existent. Life is fueled by technology and popularity for greed.”
Image credits: TikTok/itsdeenalang
Lang responded to the backlash, clarifying her intent. According to her, the glasses were mostly used for translation and to document travel with her family in a hands-free way.
“Using them responsibly, may be too big of an ask,” she lamented.
Lang’s experience comes just days after a troubling report from the University of San Francisco
Image credits: Instagram/itsdeenalang
Officials there warned students about a man roaming campus and approaching women with “unwanted comments and inappropriate dating questions,” all while secretly recording them with Meta glasses to post online.
@itsdeenalang I played myself, didn’t i? #metaglasses #metarayban #raybanmeta #fyp ♬ original sound – Deena Lang
For many, that incident reinforced the concern that Meta glasses are too easy to misuse and too hard to regulate.
“Respectfully, we know Meta does not value privacy,” a viewer wrote.
“So when you wear those glasses, you should assume they’re always recording everything even when you don’t turn them on.”