Meta’s Ray‑Ban Smart Glasses Face ‘Pervert Glasses’ Backlash, Threatening AI‑Wearable Growth

Wall Street analysts are raising concerns that growing public backlash against privacy-invasive wearable AI glasses could stall the booming smart eyewear market, particularly affecting Meta Platforms and EssilorLuxottica.

Bernstein senior equity analyst Luca Solca, who tracks luxury brands including EssilorLuxottica, LVMH, Hermès, and Richemont, has flagged a sharp shift in consumer sentiment. While the Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses initially achieved strong sales—with over 7 million units sold in 2025, up from 2 million in 2023 and 2024 combined—users are increasingly abandoning them under social pressure.

The glasses’ discreet design, which embeds cameras within stylish frames, has backfired. Unlike smartphones, the recording indicator can be obscured, making it easy for wearers to film others without consent. Critics have labeled the devices “pervert glasses,” and high-profile figures like Jimmy Kimmel and singer Lorde have publicly criticized them. Advocacy groups in New York and London have launched guerrilla ad campaigns to raise awareness and encourage boycotts.

The core appeal of the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses—their seamless integration of technology into classic eyewear—has become a liability. The lack of clear identification as recording devices raises serious privacy concerns, with nonprofit groups like Germany’s HateAid calling for “safety by design.” They argue that the glasses are virtually indistinguishable from regular eyewear and demand regulatory measures to make them clearly identifiable.

Despite the mounting backlash, Solca notes a strategic upside for EssilorLuxottica. Reduced adoption of smart glasses may protect traditional eyewear sales and prevent margin erosion that could turn glasses into low-margin tech gadgets. He maintains a Market-Perform rating on EssilorLuxottica with a 12-month price target of €200, though shares are currently trading around €156—a more than 50% decline from their late-2025 peak near €319.

The reputational damage to Ray-Ban, a flagship EssilorLuxottica brand, remains a concern. Industry observers are drawing parallels to how the Ray-Ban Aviator became synonymous with Tom Cruise’s role in *Top Gun*—but now risking association with privacy violations instead of pop culture.

While the long-term impact on the smart glasses market remains uncertain, one thing is clear: public resistance to unchecked surveillance technology is reshaping consumer acceptance.

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