Meta has removed a satirical video from Instagram in which we, together with Dutch program maker Roel Maalderink, criticized Meta AI glasses. We visited Meta's Amsterdam office to film interviews asking employees what they themselves thought of the glasses while wearing them.

Our jaws dropped

According to Meta, the video did not align with their guidelines: there allegedly were elements of bullying and intimidation.

All faces of employees in the video were blurred and rendered unrecognizable. The video quickly garnered half a million views across various social media platforms, including Instagram.

Roel Maalderink expressed surprise at the removal: "My jaw literally dropped here. I've been making satirical videos about everything for 10 years now: Gaza, Ukraine, refugees. Funny videos that provoke and spark debate. But I've never experienced a video being taken down before. The clip was well-viewed and reactions were positive, but apparently Meta doesn't want people to see this video. Shameful —people will have to go to www.gluurbril.nl or Mastodon instead."

Meta tolerates no criticism

Since last year, Meta's AI glasses have been available in Dutch retail stores. Global sales tripled in 2025. Meanwhile, thousands of videos have appeared online showing men unwantedly filming women with the glasses—at the beach, in bathroom stalls, and in saunas. Meta's "pervert glasses" pose a threat to public order, security, and privacy. This is technology that arguably should not have been brought to market in the first place. That is we launched the website www.gluurbril.nl calling for a ban.

The Instagram removal underscores the extraordinary power of the company: Meta can both promote products and censor criticism when it suits them. When a privacy-respecting satirical video shows that even Meta employees find these glasses objectionable, Meta censors their message. And this is not the first time this has happened: previously, queer accounts and sex workers' personal accounts have also been removed.

This demonstrates the company's power: Meta determines what becomes publicly discussable and how the debate unfolds. Apparently, there's no room for criticism directed at Meta itself.