Everything's recording everybody. What now?

October 15, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Everything's recording everybody. What now?

The Verge's V Song shows up wearing four devices — Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses, a Dexcom CGM, an Apple Watch Series 12, and a Fitbit Edge — with an Oura ring charging at home. "Three to five is normal for me these days," she says. But the conversation isn't about the gadgets themselves. It's about what happens when those gadgets stop tracking only you and start tracking everyone around you.

The camera-free glasses that might point the way

Meta recently released a version of its Ray-Ban smart glasses with no camera at all — just audio. The timing is conspicuous. "We've just had this summer of backlash against the meta smart glasses," Song says. "Pervert glasses" has become a mainstream phrase, replacing "glasshole" as the shorthand for public discomfort with always-on cameras on people's faces.

Meta's VP of wearables, Alex Hemel, told Song these audio-only glasses have been in development for two years. The company underestimated how much people would value discrete open-ear headphones. Without the camera, the frames can be thinner — wireframe styles become possible for the first time. They look much closer to regular glasses.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:01) **Welcome & The Core Question** - David Pierce introduces the episode's theme: wearables that constantly record you, and how we feel about being the recorder or the recorded.
2 (00:44) **News: Folding iPhone Duo, OpenAI Lawsuit, & Security Vulnerabilities** - A brief news segment covering Apple's pre-order strategy, the Apple-OpenAI lawsuit, and a security flaw in the AI pet toy Elico.
3 (04:34) **Gadget Rundown: What V is Wearing Today** - V Song lists the four gadgets she's currently wearing: Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses, a Dexcom CGM, an Apple Watch, and a Fitbit Edge.
4 (05:29) **Ray-Ban Meta Audio: Why No Camera?** - The discussion begins with Meta's decision to release smart glasses without a camera, following a summer of backlash against "pervert glasses."
5 (08:39) **The AI Trade-Off Without a Camera** - V and David debate whether removing the camera "nerfs" the AI capabilities of the glasses.
6 (11:17) **Hearing Assistance & The Stigma Problem** - Meta's glasses will include an FDA-cleared hearing assistance feature, which could reduce the stigma associated with traditional hearing aids.
7 (12:20) **The Psychological Burden of Recording Glasses** - V explains how the audio-only glasses remove the anxiety of accidentally recording people and the need to constantly disclose the device.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

David Pierce

Show Notes

Meta just shipped a pair of smart glasses with no camera — a change that both David and The Verge's Victoria Song are excited about. But these glasses, like the new product from Amazon Bee and seemingly everything else now, are still ready and willing to record the world around you at all times. What do we do in a world where everything, everywhere, might be recording? And can tech companies figure out a way to make us feel better about it?

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