Smart glasses are permitted at this year's Burning Man festival, but organizers stress the importance of privacy and consent. Attendees, known as "Burners," must ask for permission before recording anyone, whether they are the main subject or in the background, according to the festival's updated 2026 guidelines.

The festival, held annually in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, runs from August 31 through September 7. The new rules explicitly mention smart eyewear due to its growing popularity and the privacy concerns it raises. Smart glasses, like Meta's Ray-Ban and Oakley AI glasses, resemble regular eyewear but include cameras, microphones, speakers, and AI assistants. While they allow users to capture moments hands-free, their discreet cameras have sparked privacy debates.

Burning Man organizers emphasize the importance of respecting personal boundaries and the festival experience. A spokesperson stated that while the privacy and consent rules aren't new, they were updated to include smart eyewear as technology evolves. As reported by Business Insider, the festival prioritizes participant privacy and media practices that respect consent.

Despite the guidelines, some attendees have expressed concerns over the use of smart glasses. A Reddit thread discussed potentially shaming smart-glass wearers. Additionally, singer-songwriter Lorde criticized AI glasses during a performance, calling them "not sexy."

Meta has pledged to remove content filmed without consent from its platforms, but Business Insider found instances of such content remaining online. The company has since removed thousands of violating posts.

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