An activist group has commandeered two London bus stops with fake advertisements for Meta’s smart glasses, using clever design tricks to call out what they call the company’s “always watching” surveillance apparatus.
The campaign, carried out by the group Everyone Hates Elon, features two distinct fake ads that at first appear to be legitimate Meta marketing for its AI-powered smart glasses. But a closer look reveals a biting critique of the company’s push into wearable surveillance technology.
A ‘They Live’ Optical Illusion
The most striking of the two ads uses an optical illusion that pays homage to John Carpenter’s 1988 sci-fi classic They Live, in which a pair of special sunglasses reveals the world’s true, dystopian nature. From one angle, the poster appears to show Kylie Jenner modelling a pair of Meta’s smart glasses, nearly indistinguishable from a real Meta campaign. But from a different viewing angle, Jenner’s face shifts to a skeletal, black-and-white image, and the tagline changes from “Meta AI glasses” to a stark warning: “Meta: We’re always watching.”
The illusion was first spotted and reported by Hyperallergic, before being picked up by Engadget and other outlets.
A Second, Less Subtle Warning
The second ad is far more direct. Placed at a separate London bus stop, it displays a pair of smart glasses above the text: “The biggest advance in pervert technology since the trenchcoat.” Below the image, the prompt reads: “Hey Meta, start filming.”
Both ads are the work of Everyone Hates Elon, the activist collective that previously targeted Amazon’s Jeff Bezos with posters in New York City subway stations protesting his involvement with this year’s Met Gala.
The rise of always-connected smart glasses has sparked growing privacy concerns among activists and the public alike.
Growing Backlash Over Privacy Concerns
The guerrilla ads come amid a growing backlash against Meta’s smart glasses, with privacy advocates raising alarms about the potential for continuous, covert recording. The group pointed to a Financial Times investigation that reported Meta is testing a new version of the glasses designed to continuously record audio while taking photos every few seconds, without any visible indicator.
In a post on Instagram, Everyone Hates Elon wrote: “Just because you CAN create sunglasses that record people without their consent and use the footage to train robots… Doesn’t mean you should.”
Meta’s Response
Meta has not yet commented on the fake ads. However, the company recently announced it would disable the cameras on its smart glasses if it detects that the recording LED indicator has been physically tampered with. In a statement, Meta said it would “continue to work on ways to make them even safer and more trustworthy.”
The incident underscores the escalating tension between Big Tech’s ambitious wearable computing roadmap and growing public unease over always-on sensors in everyday settings. As smart glasses become more sophisticated — and more subtle — the line between fashion accessory and surveillance device appears to be blurring faster than regulators can keep pace.