The 'Creep Glass' Effect: Meta's Wearables Invading the Dating Scene

Meta's smart glasses are increasingly becoming a point of contention in the dating world, earning the nickname “creep glasses” as users report being covertly filmed during romantic encounters, as Wired first reported.

One woman, Courtney McAnuff, told Wired she felt “super violated” after a date in midtown Manhattan used Meta Ray-Bans to film her at a bar and on the subway. McAnuff discovered the footage only after being tagged in an Instagram story the following day.

While Meta sold over 7 million pairs of the glasses in 2025, the hardware's ability to record from the wearer's viewpoint has created significant anxiety. Wired reports that users on platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and Bluesky have shared stories of discomfort, with some choosing to ghost dates who wear the devices. In Seoul, South Korea, The Korea Herald reports a man was investigated in July for allegedly filming four women on dates and uploading the clips to social media.

Gary Lewandowski, a psychology professor at Monmouth University, told Wired that using covert cameras to review “game tape” to optimize behavior or gather facts makes dating less about connection. Yue Xu, cohost of the Dateable podcast, told Wired the trend shows a lack of respect for privacy and anonymity.

Though the glasses feature a front-facing LED to signal recording, Wired notes this light is the only warning and can be disabled via hardware hacking. Additionally, Meta and EssilorLuxottica are currently facing a class action lawsuit alleging the unauthorized capture and storage of private user data.