Meta AI Glasses Privacy Arbitration: Was Your Private Footage Sent Overseas?

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org believe that Meta may take the data recorded on users’ Meta glasses and transmit it to foreign, third-party contractors to be annotated and used in AI training, all without users’ knowledge or consent. As a result, they’re now gathering affected consumers to take action against the company through mass arbitration.

Meta Glasses Privacy Concerns: Where Might Your Photos and Videos Be Going?

The Meta AI glasses are advertised as being “designed for privacy, [and] controlled by you,” claiming that users will be “in control of [their] data and content.” However, the attorneys believe that Meta may send the photo, audio and video content captured on users’ glasses, which the lawyers argue should be privately retained by the individual users, to a foreign, third-party company called SamaSource Impact Sourcing Inc.

Sama is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya and, according to the attorneys, multiple Sama employees have reported that they are tasked with reviewing footage captured on the glasses, including deeply private or personal footage that may include visible bank cards, private text messages, romantic encounters and bathroom visits. The attorneys also add that the safety and privacy standards under which Meta’s foreign contractor operates are unknown to consumers.

According to the lawyers, this potential sharing of Meta glasses users’ personal data may put them at increased risk for identity theft, extortion, reputational harm, personal safety threats, kidnapping and other misuse of their personal audiovisual data.

What Am I Signing Up For, Exactly? Is This a Lawsuit?

You are not signing up for a Meta AI glasses lawsuit, but rather a process known as mass arbitration. This is a relatively new legal technique that, like a class action lawsuit, allows a large group of people to take action and seek compensation from a company over an alleged wrongdoing. Here is a quick explanation of mass arbitration from our blog:

“[M]ass arbitration occurs when hundreds or thousands of consumers file individual arbitration claims against the same company over the same issue at the same time. The aim of a mass arbitration proceeding is to grant relief on a large scale (similar to a class action lawsuit) for those who sign up.”

Meta’s terms of service contain an arbitration clause and class action waiver, which require consumers to resolve any disputes with the company via arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution that occurs outside of court before a neutral arbitrator, rather than a judge or jury. For this reason, attorneys working with ClassAction.org have decided to handle this matter through mass arbitration rather than a class action lawsuit.

How Much Does This Cost?

It costs nothing to sign up, and you’ll only need to pay if the attorneys win money on your behalf. Their payment will come as a percentage of your recovery.

If they don’t win your claim, you don’t pay.

How Much Money Could I Get?

There are no guarantees as to how much money you could get or whether your claim will be successful. However, affected consumers could be owed $100s or more for potential violations of their privacy rights.

Sign Up and Take Action

Have you used a pair of Meta AI glasses that is or was paired to your smartphone with the Meta AI app?

Before commenting, please review our comment policy.