Instagram head Adam Mosseri said videos shot on Meta glasses that harass strangers will be removed. Two pickup artist accounts with over 1 million followers were deactivated, Meta confirmed.
Instagram will remove videos shot on Meta's smart glasses that show harassment or pranks targeting strangers in public, platform head Adam Mosseri said last week.
The move follows a Business Insider report this spring on the spread of such videos on TikTok and Reels. People wearing Meta glasses film themselves doing pranks on service workers – putting fart spray into a candle at Walmart and asking an employee to smell it, for example. Another genre comes from pickup artists who approach women at gyms or on the street, often without the women realizing they are being recorded.
Business Insider found that two large accounts of pickup artists who filmed themselves approaching women in public had been deactivated. Both previously had more than one million followers. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the accounts were removed for violating the policy against posting harassing content filmed with the glasses.
The glasses have an indicator light that turns on when recording. In older models, people could tamper with it by drilling holes or covering it with tape. Meta has said a new update will disable the camera if someone tries to modify the light. Even when working, the light is small and easy to miss, especially in bright sunlight. It is not a universally recognized sign of recording.
The nickname "pervert glasses" has gained traction on social media. Meta announced the policy change in that context.
Meta declined to specify how many videos have been removed under the new policy or what exactly constitutes a violation.
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