First Lady Melania Trump and Queen Camilla showcased Meta’s AI glasses at a White House event, sparking criticism over a double standard that allows the tech company to demonstrate devices currently banned for journalists and staff.
First Lady Melania Trump and Queen Camilla highlighted educational innovation at the White House on Tuesday by demonstrating Meta’s AI-enabled sunglasses, even as a strict ban on the “fashionable tech” remains in place for the press corps. While the First Lady donned the brown Ray-Ban Meta shades to show how students can evaluate historical artifacts, journalists noted the irony of the display, given that the Secret Service has “long included wearable technology with photo or video capabilities” on its list of prohibited items for staff and visitors.
Despite the administration’s “common-sense policy” that led to the confiscation or banning of similar devices from reporters earlier this year, Meta was permitted to host a pre-planned installation in “total coordination and compliance” with security officials. The optics of the exception have drawn scrutiny toward Meta’s growing influence, as the company donated $1 million to the president’s inaugural fund and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has significantly increased his direct contact with the administration, including multiple White House visits and a private dinner at Mar-a-Lago.