- Smart glasses maker removes privacy-violating content and cracks down on accessories designed to conceal recording indicators
- Company says future products will feature upgraded anti-tampering protections as debate over AI glasses intensifies
Smart glasses maker Rokid (灵伴科技) issued a privacy and community governance statement on Friday, announcing a cleanup of content involving unauthorized recordings and a series of hardware and software safeguards after reports of users filming strangers in public and sharing the footage online.
The move follows growing scrutiny over the use of AI-enabled glasses in public spaces. A Shanghai-based user, identified as Ms. Yun, said she discovered posts in a Rokid user community showing female cabin crew members from Spring Airlines being filmed during boarding and the footage subsequently published online.
A review by local media found numerous videos allegedly recorded without the knowledge of passersby in locations including beaches, parks and subway stations.
Blocking recording indicators
E-commerce platforms were also found to be selling adhesive covers designed to block recording indicator lights, with some listings reporting sales exceeding 5,000 units, Chinese media reported.
The adhesive covers, used to block the recording indicator lights, were priced between 6.8 yuan ($1) and 9.9 yuan per pack. Sellers typically sold them by the pack. A pack of 100 pieces generally cost 8.9 to 9.9 yuan, meaning each cover was less than 0.1 yuan on average.
In response, Rokid said it had removed all content found to violate privacy rules and taken action against the accounts involved.
The company added that it had upgraded content moderation algorithms and oversight mechanisms, saying it would “never provide a breeding ground for the spread of improperly recorded content.”
Clampdown on accessory sales
The company also said it had filed complaints with e-commerce platforms over accessories marketed to circumvent safety features, including light-blocking stickers intended to conceal recording indicators, and was seeking their removal and source tracing.
Rokid outlined additional technical measures aimed at preventing misuse.
Current products are equipped with hardware-level recording indicator lights that remain illuminated during recording, as well as sensor-based accessories and underlying protection algorithms, including obstruction detection.
The company said third parties are prohibited from modifying indicator-light permissions “at the system level.”
Future products will feature upgraded sensors and protection algorithms designed to reduce the risk of unauthorized modifications and recordings, according to the statement.
Testing by local media found that once indicator lights were covered, recordings became difficult for bystanders to detect, while audio alerts were only audible to the wearer.
Relatively inconspicuous
The report also noted that several smart-glasses models feature relatively inconspicuous recording indicators and provide limited privacy guidance on their official websites.
Ms. Yun said she regularly uses Rokid glasses for translation and meeting transcription and was surprised that the devices could be exploited for privacy-invasive purposes. She said she reported the content through the app on June 2, but the post remained online as of June 5.
“AI glasses are an area where Chinese technology is leading globally,” Rokid said in its statement. “As a representative of the industry, we understand that integrating a new category of products into society will inevitably involve discussions about boundaries.”
The company added that it would continue to assume responsibility for privacy protection as the industry evolves, while urging users to comply with laws and social norms when using recording-enabled devices.
Doubts over handling
Despite Rokid’s apology and rectifications, doubts over the company’s handling of hidden-recording issues remain unresolved.
In an editorial the Nanjing Daily newspaper criticized Rokid’s community oversight, saying the company’s inaction “undoubtedly amounts to indulgence, even encouragement, of those filming secretly.”
The paper added that a brand-built community “should be a positive space, yet has become an exhibition and like-pool for surreptitious recordings,” creating an impression that “secret recording is tacitly permitted and even worth sharing.”
Lawyer Jiang Siyong noted that Content platforms are subject to a “notice-and-takedown” rule. “If complaints are not handled promptly, the platform bears joint liability for any additional harm caused,” he was quoted as saying in a story by the China Newsweek magazine.
