In January, the New York Police Department (NYPD) issued a memo to its officers warning about the potential security risks posed by Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. These devices, which look like regular sunglasses but include cameras and microphones, have raised concerns that they could be used to secretly record sensitive information inside police facilities. The memo emphasized the need for thorough inspections of eyewear allowed in inmate cells, citing two examples of videos recorded with these glasses and posted online. These videos reportedly exposed details about cell layouts, camera placements, and officer routines—information that could be used to compromise security. The NYPD memo is part of a series of previously unreported documents reviewed by The Guardian, revealing that law enforcement agencies across the United States are growing increasingly wary of smart glasses. From Maine to California, officers have expressed concerns that the technology could be used to secretly record police activity or assist in planning crimes and acts of terrorism. One of the videos, recorded with Meta smart glasses and posted on TikTok in July 2025, provided an unusual look inside a South Carolina detention center under federal investigation for unsafe conditions. The person in the video claimed that others were unaware of the glasses, allowing them to film the facility unnoticed. Meta smart glasses are designed to look like regular eyewear, such as Ray-Bans or Oakleys, and feature a small blinking light in the corner of the frame to indicate when recording. While many detention facilities prohibit recording devices, some smart glasses have gone undetected. The covertly recorded videos prompted the NYPD’s intelligence and counterterrorism bureau, which works closely with the FBI, to send out the January memo to other police departments. These concerns have extended beyond law enforcement, with privacy advocates and the public worried about the glasses' ability to record people without consent. Such technology has already been used for harassment, according to documents obtained by Property of the People, a non-profit focused on government transparency. Federal agencies have also taken notice. A June 2026 memo from Maine’s fusion center, a Department of Homeland Security facility, warned about the risks posed by smart glasses, including the use of AI for facial recognition that could lead to the exposure of personal information or connections to law enforcement. Similar concerns were raised in memos from other fusion centers and counterterrorism teams across the country. In response, some federal agencies have banned their employees from using the glasses in the workplace. In August 2025, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated that smart glasses qualify as body-worn cameras and are prohibited in federal workspaces. Meta’s spokesperson, Dina El-Kassaby, emphasized that the glasses are designed to be noticeable, with a blinking light that cannot be disabled, and that the camera is disabled if the light is covered or tampered with.