Dan Levy isn't sure who needs camera-wielding smart glasses other than "perverts."
Levy, 43, took to Instagram on Sept. 24 to share a video in which he expressed confusion about the high-tech glasses, which can often take photos and video.
"Other than like some perverts from my high school who would probably want to take some camera glasses into the girls' change room, I can't think of a single reason why you would need cameras on your glasses," Levy said in his video.
While most commenters on the post agreed with Levy's point of view, some provided examples of when smart glasses can be utilized for medical reasons.
"Every normal person use? No. But My mom is blind and the VA has given her a pair. It’ll read things off to her. It’ll describe the color
of things in front of her, etc. Can be pretty life changing for the visually impaired," one user commented on Levy's video.
A few hours after posting the video, Levy added a clarifying comment: "I obviously know there are exceptions to this − people who legitimately need this technology. I’m talkin generally here, pals. These things aren’t being marketed as life-saving medical devices."
What did Dan Levy say about smart glasses?
In Levy's Instagram Reel, the "Schitt's Creek" star said:
"Why do we need to hide cameras in glasses again? What is the purpose of this particular trend of technology? As a lifelong glasses wearer, I can't think of a single time that I wish I had secret cameras on my glasses. I can suppose empathize with people who explore caves. You know those people who kind of crawl into small spaces, and even then, I guess they would need the cameras to just record the experience. Other than like some perverts from my high school who would probably want to take some camera glasses into the girls' change room, I can't think of a single reason why you would need cameras on your glasses."
Comments come amid rising privacy concerns
Levy's comments come days after Meta released new camera-free smart glasses on Sept. 23. The Ray-Ban Audio glasses have the audio capabilities of Meta's camera-equipped models but cannot capture photos or video.
This summer, Meta unveiled a digital campaign and introduced software updates after a social media trend encouraged users to remove the white LED light on the front of the Meta Glasses' frames, which indicates when the device is recording. Once the light is removed, it's difficult to tell when the glasses are recording.
In July, Meta released an update for the glasses that disables the camera if the light is "physically tampered with or destroyed," according to a news release.
Despite not having a camera, some analysts remain worried that the new Ray-Ban Audio glasses will raise similar privacy concerns, especially since the company did not demonstrate whether the glasses have an indicator for when recording.
"This is all about consent," Jitesh Ubrani, director at market research firm IDC, told Reuters. "Meta needs to figure out a way to warn users they are being recorded, even though it just might be audio only."
Contributing: Reuters
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dan Levy slams glasses with cameras, says they're for 'some perverts'
