Some ICE employees seemingly needed a reminder not to wear their Meta pervert glasses to work. Because only ICE can spy on ICE.

Meta smart glasses are essentially “body-worn cameras,” as they can covertly record video and audio, David Venturella, Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director, reportedly reminded agency employees on Tuesday. 

“The use of Meta Glasses or similar devices could unintentionally capture, record or transmit sensitive information, potentially compromising privacy and legal protections,” Venturella said in a Tuesday memo, according to a New York Times report.

ICE policy [PDF] prohibits employees from using personal body-worn cameras in the workplace. As such, ICE employees’ personal Meta glasses - along with similar wearable devices capable of recording audio or video - are banned from use on the job.

An ICE spokesperson told us that ICE, on occasion, reminds its employees of existing policies like this one, and that the agency takes privacy and operational security seriously.  

“This isn’t news - nothing has changed,” an ICE spokesperson said. “Personally owned body-worn cameras and unauthorized recording are prohibited, as they always have been.”

The spokesperson declined to answer The Register’s questions including what prompted the reminder and whether more ICE agents have been bringing their Meta glasses to work.

Meta said it had no comment on the story.

While the ICE policy isn’t new, the outright ban on Meta’s so-called pervert glasses has been trending upward since DEF CON told hackers to leave any glasses equipped with recording capabilities at home. “Be sure to pack non-violating eyewear if you need them,” DEF CON organizers told conference attendees ahead of the annual August event.

Several restaurants, pubs, and private clubs including Soho House and UK pub chain Wetherspoons have also prohibited - or strongly discouraged - patrons from wearing these types of smart glasses in their establishments, citing privacy concerns.

Apart from CCTV cameras, “the general code that applies in our pubs, and most pubs, is that you can't film customers or employees without their permission,” a Wetherspoons spokesperson previously told The Register. “Meta glasses seem to breach this code, and common sense, by enabling surreptitious surveillance, so our instinct is to say turn off the cameras.”

Some National Basketball Association arenas have also reportedly told fans to go put their glasses with recording capabilities inside their vehicles and not wear them at NBA games.

Meanwhile, the UK's privacy watchdog in March began investigating Meta's smart glasses after reports that human contractors reviewing recordings from the devices were exposed to extremely private moments captured by unsuspecting users. ®