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The fact is that Meta is at the forefront of popularizing smart glasses, which are not yet a widely adopted technology. The privacy practices and functionality of the glasses is, at the moment, largely being guided by Meta, whereas smartphones are a largely commodified technology at this point. And it’s clear that this consumer technology that the company markets on billboards as a cool way to record videos for Instagram is seen by some in law enforcement as enticing.

“It’s clear that whatever imaginary boundary there was between consumer surveillance tech and government surveillance tech is now completely erased,” Chris Gilliard, co-director of The Critical Internet Studies Institute and author of the forthcoming book Luxury Surveillance, told 404 Media.

“The fact is when you bring powerful new surveillance capabilities into the marketplace, they can be used for a range of purposes including abusive ones. And that needs to be thought through before you bring things like that into the marketplace,” the ACLU’s Stanley said.

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Update: After this article was published, the independent journalist Mel Buer (who runs the site Words About Work) reposted images she took at a July 7 immigration enforcement raid at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. In Buer's footage and photos, two additional CBP agents can be seen wearing Meta smart glasses in the back of a truck; a third is holding a camera pointed out of the back of the truck. Buer gave 404 Media permission to republish the photos; you can find her work here.