When Workplace Tech Turns Into Surveillance

There is a wealth of evidence that suggests that workplace surveillance culture disproportionately impacts marginalized employees.

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A woman named Aniessa Navarro recently shared a story of her experience with an esthetician at a European Wax Center that was wearing Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses while giving Navarro a Brazilian wax. Although the employee told Navarro that the glasses were not recording, smart glasses are designed with the ability to record video and audio, which introduces considerable privacy concerns. Employers must consider whether employees should be allowed to wear them in the workplace, what the procedure is if employees do record audio or video without another person’s consent, and whether there should be formalized policies around smart glasses usage. The situation opened a larger conversation about smart glasses, whether they should be permitted in the workplace and how they feed into a culture of surveillance that has become more pervasive.

There is a wealth of evidence that suggests that workplace surveillance culture disproportionately impacts marginalized employees. According to research from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), Black employees have a higher likelihood of being “subjected to surveillance and algorithmic management technologies at work.” In December 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) cautioned employers about how wearable devices like smart glasses, smart watches and other wearable technology can introduce workplace bias. Because there are not yet hard and fast rules governing the usage of wearable devices like smart glasses, workplaces may open themselves up to situations where the data and information collected through these smart devices can elicit bias.

Many organizations don’t implement any rules or restrictions related to wearable technology like smart glasses until a problem arises. Vice reported that when Navarro contacted the European Wax Center regarding the situation, there wasn’t much concern regarding employees wearing smart glasses as long as they aren’t recording. What should be of concern is the plethora of online forums and videos that explain how to remove the LED light that is supposed to flash when Meta glasses are recording. Policies should be developed to consider the evolving technology and what is acceptable use when it comes to smart glasses.

Another ethical consideration with smart glasses is the ability for them to perform facial scans. In October of 2024, it was reported that two Harvard University students were able to connect Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses to a facial recognition system that allowed them to instantly access personal information from strangers in public. Although the facial recognition featured is said to have been removed from the first generation of the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, the company introduced facial recognition to its new “super sensing” smart glasses. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), facial recognition technology disproportionately harms Black people.

Imagine a scenario where an employee is wearing smart glasses and uses a customer’s facial scans to predict their socioeconomic status, household income, or education and then sells the customer a product for a higher price or refuses to sell them a product because of this information. Research indicates that facial scans can be used to predict (albeit not always accurately) demographic characteristics. Picture a situation where a hiring manager uses smart glasses with facial recognition to predict career success for job candidates. The good that smart glasses can provide an individual user is greatly outweighed by the harm that this technology can cause.

Company leaders should take the viral Brazilian wax smart glasses story as a cautionary tale and develop (or refine) policies and practices to guide smart glasses usage in the workplace. Think deeply about how much of a necessity smart glasses are in the workplace. How can fellow employees be harmed by the utilization of this technology? What about customers? What guardrails can be put in place to avoid ethical issues from arising? Workplaces should always consider the nefarious ways that technology can be used and how it can disparately impact both employees and customers.