By Song Jianan, Tech Reporter
Recently, a viral post caught everyone’s attention after someone shared footage of themselves wearing Rokid smart glasses on a plane. they were caught filming a Spring Airlines flight attendant and posting it online, captioning it something along the lines of “Spring Airlines hostesses aren’t bad either.” The clip quickly spiraled into a major conversation, sparking serious concerns that these sleek wearables might just turn into next-level sneaky cameras.
According to reports from the Xiaoxiang Morning Post, staff at Spring Airlines pushed back hard, pointing out that snapping photos or videos without permission—especially when sharing them across the internet—is a straight-up violation of people’s portrait rights and personal privacy.
But the problem doesn’t stop at the airport. Digging into Rokid’s official user forums revealed a whole pile of videos shot in crowded places like subways, parks, and shopping malls. Most of these clips don’t have consent from the people being filmed, leaving their faces clearly visible and raising serious red flags around privacy breaches. As these videos bounce around the community, the risk of personal data leaking keeps getting worse.
On the evening of June 8, Rokid officially stepped up with a public statement addressing community standards and privacy safeguards. They acknowledged the growing buzz around first-person footage shared by some users on their AI community, alongside those sketchy third-party mods flooding e-commerce sites. Taking the situation seriously, the company launched an immediate, full-scale cleanup. Here’s exactly what they’re doing about it:
First off, they’re giving their entire community a thorough scrub. Any content that crossed the line or violated privacy rules has been taken down immediately, and offending accounts have faced strict penalties. Rokid is also rolling out upgraded content filters and tighter moderation systems to make sure nothing inappropriate gets a foothold or spreads further.
Second, they’re going after those shady add-ons head-on. Those dark stickers sold online specifically designed to block the camera warning light have drawn a formal complaint from Rokid against several major e-commerce platforms. They’re pushing hard to get those misleading accessories pulled from shelves and tracking down the source of the supply chain.
Third, they’re doubling down on tech upgrades to rebuild their privacy shield. Currently, every Rokid model ships with a hardwired recording indicator that turns on automatically so you can’t miss it. They’ve also baked in physical sensors and deep-level protection algorithms—like tamper detection—that strictly lock down warning light permissions at the system core. Moving forward, new releases will feature even sharper sensors and hardened software to kill off malicious modding and unauthorized recording right at the source.
Customer support reps at Rokid’s flagship stores made it clear: whenever the camera kicks in, the status light stays solid white. Try blocking or breaking that light, and the camera won’t work at all. Right now, none of their devices allow you to use them while the indicator is covered, though they do note there’s no shutter sound during recording.
“AI-powered eyewear is one area where Chinese tech is truly leading the pack globally. As an industry player, we know that bringing brand-new tech into everyday life always comes with some friction. Companies worldwide are navigating the same tightrope here. The whole point of innovation is to build better tools that help us capture the good moments in life. We really urge everyone to respect local laws, keep social norms in mind, and draw a firm line when it comes to protecting someone’s privacy,” Rokid stressed in their official notes.
As the drama kept heating up, shoppers started spotting even more customization kits popping up online. These little mods are basically built to cover up those camera lights. Sellers aren’t even hiding it—they’ll openly tell you these patches let you run the device quietly without drawing attention. Given how well they’re moving, it’s pretty clear why folks are worried: those essential warning lights get blinded, turning a security feature into a silent snooping tool.
A quick search on major retail sites showed plenty of these light-blocking stickers still up for grabs, including some marketed specifically for Rokid gear. One shop rep told reporters that the sticker just blocks the glow—it doesn’t mess with the signal or camera function—which directly contradicts what Rokid’s own support team says. Real-world feedback, though, tells a different story. Some buyers claim the patch does absolutely nothing; the glasses actually warn them that the sensor is blocked and shut down recording. Others swear you can still catch a faint glow even after slapping the sticker on.
For those keeping score, Rokid was founded back in 2014 by former Alibaba M Studio head Zhu Mingming. The company has spent years focusing on R&D, manufacturing, and selling AR and AI smart glasses, all centered around pushing the boundaries of next-gen human-computer interaction. Their consumer lineup leans heavily into lightweight designs, packing in handy features like real-time translation, GPS navigation, and voice commands. They’ve already got several mass-market models flying off shelves.
The numbers back up their momentum, too. A 2025 global AI eyewear market report from Omdia puts Rokid at second place overall worldwide with a 3.9% market share, making them the top Chinese brand in the space. If you zoom in on models with built-in displays, they’re sitting firmly at number one globally.
It’s worth noting that Rokid isn’t the only one sweating this issue. Major domestic AI glass makers have all rolled out their own privacy safeguards. Most brands bolt on bright recording indicators and physical toggle switches. Some even throw in extra cues like haptic feedback or subtle device warming to let people nearby know the camera is rolling.
Still, tightening the screws hasn’t been a walk in the park. With online marketplaces stretching in every direction, it’s nearly impossible to fully eradicate those DIY mod kits and unbranded tools. Cheap, knock-off pairs flooding the lower end of the market often skip basic privacy design altogether, making regulation a nightmare. Add in the fact that public spaces are chaotic and crowded, and sneaky filming becomes incredibly easy to pull off unnoticed. You can’t exactly police every corner with manual checks.
Looking ahead, IDC predicts the smart glasses space is about to blow past a major growth milestone. By 2026, shipments are expected to hit over 22.6 million units—a juicy 56.3% jump year-over-year, with Chinese manufacturers grabbing nearly half of that global pie. As this market keeps ballooning, finding the sweet spot between collecting data, training smarter algorithms, and keeping user privacy locked down is going to be the defining challenge for the entire wearable tech industry.
