Meta, Zuckerberg works on image problem—donates 130K Ray-Ban AI glasses to blind veterans

Meta is donating a pair of Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses to every legally blind veteran in the United States, a program that could reach more than 130,000 people, according to News Nation. The company and the Blinded Veterans Association said in a press release that the glasses will be given at no cost and come with training materials, monthly webinars, and in-person help for veterans who want to use the technology in daily life.

The move comes after Meta’s image has continued to decline amid controversies, including layoffs and plummeting employee morale, as well as lawsuits from both schools regarding social media addiction and from rapper Eminem for copyright infringement.

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How veterans can get the glasses

The glasses use built-in cameras and AI to read text aloud, describe surroundings, identify objects, and help with navigation, the company confirmed. Meta announced the program on Friday in partnership with the Blinded Veterans Association, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed it again on Sunday at the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, according to News Nation.

Eligible veterans can request a pair through the Blinded Veterans Association at bva.org/glasses, Meta said. Veteran organizations that want to help members get the glasses can apply through TechSoup, the company added.

Distribution will use VA Blind Rehabilitation Centers where possible, Meta noted, to make sure veterans get proper help using the device.

The effort was inspired in part by Don Overton, a U.S. Army veteran who lost his eyesight in the Gulf War, the press release reports. In a video shared by the company, Overton said, “When I lost my eyesight in Desert Storm from a bunker explosion, I also lost my independence. The moment I put on my Ray-Ban Meta glasses, I got my independence back.”

Lea Rowe, national executive director of the Blinded Veterans Association, told NewsNation she has seen “a profound interest” in the glasses from BVA members. “It’s giving independence back to that veteran so that they can have that opportunity to integrate completely back into their world, and not have to rely on somebody else,” Rowe said, per the report.

The company said this is one of its largest device donations to date and comes ahead of America’s 250th birthday as a way to honor veterans’ service. Partners in the rollout include Homes for Our Troops, Tunnel to Towers, and Lighthouse Guild.

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Eminem’s copyright case moves forward

Among many of Meta’s image problems is a $109 million copyright lawsuit from rapper Eminem. According to Yahoo Finance, the lawsuit came after a federal judge let Eminem’s publishing company, Eight Mile Style, move ahead with claims that the company uploaded 243 songs without permission across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The judge reportedly rejected Meta’s argument that the case was too vague to proceed, saying the complaint “states enough to a plausible claim infringing acts by Meta.”

The judge also said that storage of the songs without permission could amount to unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted material, as reported by Yahoo Finance. But the court dismissed secondary infringement claims tied to user posts, saying Eight Mile had not shown examples of infringing posts.

Social media addiction settlement and internal strain

In a separate matter, Meta settled the first of many social media addiction lawsuits brought by school districts, according to NBC News. The settlement applies only to the Breathitt County School District in Kentucky, which had been set for trial next month in federal court in Oakland, California.

That case was chosen as a bellwether, or test case, for more than 1,200 similar lawsuits, NBC News reported. The financial terms were not disclosed, and the district had sought more than $60 million for a long-term program to address mental health and learning harms it says were tied to social media use.

Meta chief technology officer Andrew “Boz” Bosworth also told employees that morale is near its lowest point in 20 years, according to Business Insider. He linked the strain to recent mass layoffs and a companywide shift toward artificial intelligence work.

Bosworth said morale was “probably one of the worst it’s ever been,” though he said Cambridge Analytica had been worse, Business Insider reported. Meta has since said it will improve communication, support career development, and give employees reassigned to AI work a chance to apply for other roles.

The company is also increasing budgets for travel, events, and snacks, according to Business Insider. Meta declined to comment for the story.