In terms of their reputation for protecting privacy, among the tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Amazon and most of all Meta, Apple is the clear winner. at least in terms of public perception. this fought hardand for a long timeto be considered in this way. With that in mind, the new one Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports says that Apple has been in some turmoil lately, as its luster as Big Tech’s recognized privacy leader could be tarnished a bit if it launches a new product in a category now commonly referred to on the Internet as “pervert glasses.”
Gurman’s story, as usual, comes from anonymous sources, but the gist of it is this: long-rumored Apple glasses, allegedly codenamed “N50” was apparently on track to launch this year and roll out in early 2027, but now, according to Gurman, the glasses will be released in late 2027 because Apple is still developing its “privacy statement.”
It doesn’t take much imagination to imagine what’s troubling the company. Meta smart glasses were a a modest success, commercially speaking. But this success came with complications, as in Meta:
And there are products in this category now prohibited Art courtrooms Art multiple jurisdiction. They were also public broken by Lord to the shouts and applause of her fans.
So Apple knows that, in theory, it should be Gallant to Goofas Meta. “The glasses development teams in Apple’s Vision hardware group and elsewhere in the company make privacy their No. 1 priority,” says Gurman.
But when it comes to a product in this category, actually making privacy No. 1 on the list of concerns might just mean vowing not to release a product that, had it been sold in the recent past, would have been widely perceived as a spy tool, like the hat Homer Simpson wore to detect health violations at the Kwik-E-Mart.
Meta has at least hinted that it is working on a without a camera smart glasses. Apple has also reportedly created a “prototype” of something similar. It also considered the odd option of “turning on the full camera system but not allowing it to record photos or video at all,” Gurman says.
But is Apple really going to release a line of smart glasses and not include photography features in the flagship model? Obviously, first-person photos and videos are a massive selling point, and Apple is known to enjoy people buying a lot of its products. So dream on.
Gurman says Apple’s actual steps to protect its privacy-focused image are likely to include:
- Data processing on the device itself, not in the cloud
- Probably not submitting video for moderator review
- Except in permanent recording mode, for example one that Meta is reportedly working on
- Does not use images from glasses to train AI models
To be fair, Gurman’s report has not been verified, and should not be taken as an exhaustive list of Apple’s privacy protections.