Smart glasses are 'an invasion of privacy' - Meta's are selling better than ever

Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are selling strongly—about 7 million pairs sold and roughly 80%+ share of current smart-glasses sales—helping establish a nascent consumer category that researchers and banks predict could reach tens of millions of users (as many as 100m buyers in coming years). Major rivals (Apple, Google, Snap) are preparing competing AI/AR glasses, which could accelerate adoption but also intensify competition. At the same time, privacy controversies, worker-reported content reviews, lawsuits and potential facial-recognition features create reputational and regulatory risk that could slow uptake or prompt restrictions. The market outlook is therefore substantial but uncertain, balancing rapid sales growth against growing backlash and legal/privacy headwinds.