Smart glasses are, without argument, more popular than they’ve ever been. Meta alone has sold millions of pairs, and even Apple is reportedly interested in the category, with Google and Samsung waiting in the wings. But for each step smart glasses take towards going mainstream, there are just as many people taking a step (or several) back, and some of those people are actual celebrities.
Here’s Lorde talking a whole lot of sh*t during a recent performance about said smart glasses:
lorde saying fuck meta glasses in a festival that was sponsored by rayban meta AI glasses how can you not love her
[pic.twitter.com/HWsHZHP9AE]— ana ✿ (@livinings)
[July 10, 2026]
“Can I just say, for the record, f*ck the glasses,” Lorde said on stage after lamenting the fact that it’s difficult to tell when someone is wearing normal glasses or smart glasses with a camera on them.
The sentiment isn’t particularly novel—plenty of people are averse to the idea of smart glasses—but rarely have we seen this level of backlash on a stage that isn’t overtly political or backed by an advocacy group. The comments also feel especially pointed given the fact that we just saw arguably the biggest celebrity smart glasses co-sign by Kylie Jenner, who helped design a version of Meta’s smart glasses called the Starfire Kylie Edition. Those glasses have been the center of a major ad push involving Jenner, which has helped cement Meta’s smart glasses on an even more mainstream level.
Lorde isn’t alone in the celebrity world in pushing back against smart glasses. Tyler the Creator recently blasted Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses on Instagram, writing, “Anyone who uses these glasses is a real weirdo,” linking to an article from Wired about smart glasses and surveillance.
What’s most interesting about the celebrity backlash against smart glasses is the potential implications. Way back in 2013, when Google tried, and failed, to force Google Glass onto the scene, the proverbial nail in the coffin wasn’t regulation, policy, or anything even remotely official; it was social perception. People didn’t buy Google Glass in large part because they didn’t want to be perceived as a “glasshole.” And in terms of swaying public opinion, celebrities are far more likely to move the needle than, say, the New York court system.
The question is, whose stance will win out? Kylie’s or Lorde’s?