Whether we like it or not, the once laughable novelty of smart glasses is quickly becoming socially acceptable thanks to Zuck's infamous Meta Glasses. All it took was a newfangled collab with EssilorLuxottica, and suddenly tech bros are foaming at the mouth for a pair of Meta's AI glasses – but not everyone's on board.
Amid concerns over privacy violations, this wearable smart tech has earned the less savoury title 'pervert glasses'. In response, internet privacy company DuckDuckGo has developed its own counter-product. Behold, Normal F****** Sunglasses.
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Created in collaboration with sunglasses brand Knockaround, the cheeky campaign perfectly captures pretentious tech bro language, highlighting the ridiculous nature of Meta's branding. "We're obsessed with innovation. So when big tech started putting cameras in smart glasses, we asked ourselves a radical question: what if we just didn't do that?" the parody ad claims.
Goofs and gags aside, the ad homes in on one of the most nefarious concerns around smart glasses – the violation of privacy. "These are the first smart glasses guaranteed to never record nude videos of you and send them to random people," the campaign promises. "I never thought I'd have to guarantee that," our narrator adds.
DuckDuckGo's Anti-Surveillance Sunglasses were a roaring success, selling out within a week, but the campaign's triumph is far more than clever reactive marketing. For many, Normal F****** Sunglasses are a statement.
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Already, we're seeing issues around smart glasses technology, from people being filmed on the street without their consent to students developing facial recognition technology. Pile that on top of Meta employees reportedly being able to see through your smart glasses under the guise of AI training, and we have ourselves a voyeuristic dystopian nightmare. Some women have even resorted to weaponising Disney music against Meta Glasses.
It comes as no surprise to me that so many people rallied around DuckDuckGo's tongue-in-cheek campaign. In a social climate filled with fear, it feels almost comforting to revel in a bit of silliness. Beneath the campaign is an earnestness to call out Meta's dangerous technology and spark a genuine change by speaking out. And if a little humour and some cheeky marketing gets the point across, so be it.
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For more on the controversy see why the backlash to Meta glasses has Apple spooked or take a look at this Kylie Jenner optical illusion 'advert' that says what everyone's really thinking about Meta's AI glasses.
