Customer Alarmed After Esthetician Wore Meta Ray‑Ban Smart Glasses During Brazilian Wax

A New York woman says she was unsettled when her esthetician arrived for a Brazilian wax wearing Meta’s Ray‑Ban smart glasses, a device capable of hands‑free audio and video recording, she said in a viral TikTok video.

Influencer Aniessa Navarro posted the account after a visit to a European Wax Center in Manhattan. Navarro said she noticed the glasses on the esthetician as the procedure began and felt uncomfortable because the frames can record and transmit audio and video without using a handheld device.

The Ray‑Ban frames, sold in collaboration with Meta, retail for about $350 and include embedded microphones and cameras as well as Bluetooth speakers. The company markets the glasses as enabling hands‑free photo and video capture, voice calls and text dictation. The frames are designed to show a small recording indicator light when capturing video; however, users have posted online tutorials explaining how to cover or disable that indicator.

Navarro said she asked the esthetician about the glasses, and was told they were prescription lenses and were not charged. Navarro said she still felt uncomfortable and shared the exchange in her TikTok, which has drawn widespread attention and commentary about in‑room privacy.

Smart glasses and other wearable cameras have prompted privacy debates since their introduction, as the devices can make recording less visible and allow users to capture images and audio while appearing to behave normally. Advocates for privacy have warned that such technology can create new risks in intimate settings, workplaces and other places where people expect confidentiality.

Technology manufacturers typically include visual or audible indicators to signal when cameras or microphones are active. Meta's design for the Ray‑Ban frames features a small light that illuminates during recording; social media posts and how‑to guides, however, have shown methods to obscure that indicator, raising concerns among some users and privacy experts.

European Wax Center and the Manhattan location where Navarro said she received the service did not immediately provide comment on the incident. Meta has previously said its products comply with applicable laws and that it encourages responsible use, but the company’s public statements emphasize user responsibility rather than excusing surreptitious recording.

Privacy laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction, and many places have separate rules about consent for audio or video recording. Legal analysts say such incidents often sit at the intersection of company policies, local law and individual expectations of privacy, particularly in personal care settings.

Navarro’s video contributes to a broader public conversation about how AI‑enabled wearables are used in everyday services and what safeguards businesses and consumers should expect. The episode also underscores the tension between new consumer technologies that enable hands‑free connectivity and longstanding expectations for privacy during intimate personal services.

As smart glasses and similar devices become more common, industry observers say that service providers, regulators and manufacturers will likely face increasing pressure to clarify policies, warnings and consent practices to address customer concerns in settings where privacy is a central expectation.