The Digester

Meta sold 7 million AI glasses in 2025 as privacy fears rise

Mar 2nd 2026

Meta and EssilorLuxottica sold 7 million AI eyewear units in 2025, and as smart glasses move from niche to mainstream the devices are intensifying privacy and surveillance concerns despite no major reported incidents yet.

  • Meta and EssilorLuxottica sold 7 million Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta units in 2025, up from 2 million in 2024.
  • Meta paused overseas expansion in early 2026 because U.S. demand was outstripping supply.
  • Meta’s product range includes the $459 Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 and the $799 Display model with a heads-up interface and Meta Neural Band.
  • Prada extended its licensing partnership with EssilorLuxottica through 2030 with an option to extend to 2035.
  • The glasses’ front-facing, always-on design raises widespread surveillance and consent concerns.
  • No major 2026 privacy incidents, bans, or regulatory crackdowns have been publicly reported so far.

Sources

ucstrategies.com