DuckDuckGo’s recent release of dumb sunglasses turned out to be a smart move. The privacy-focused search engine and software company made a statement against smart glasses with cameras by selling plain old regular sunglasses that cannot record you without your knowledge. The company partnered with eyewear company Knockaround to sell what it calls “anti-surveillance” sunglasses, a simple yet chic style that’s just like the sunglasses we all knew before the AI surge. They protect your eyes and don’t spy on anyone.

The sunglasses went on sale in late July, and on Monday, a DuckDuckGo representative told CNET that the first batch of glasses sold out and that more are on the way.

“The sunglasses have completely sold out,” the DuckDuckGo representative said. “We’re working on producing more, and the new batch is available for preorder on the Knockaround site.”

Yes, you can buy analog sunglasses in a million other places, including your local drugstore. But DuckDuckGo is out to make a point: AI glasses don’t respect your privacy, and the best way to protest them is not to buy them. The DuckDuckGo sunglasses even have a sassy name: Normal F* ****** Sunglasses.

While the representative told me they don’t have an exact date for the sale of the new batch of sunglasses, the preorder site gives an estimated ship date range of Nov. 19–30.

“We’ve been seeing an incredible response,” the spokesperson said, promising “more viral content and brand collaborations from DuckDuckGo.”

“We see the new wave of AI glasses as yet another privacy-invasive technology from Big Tech, so we created a satirical campaign around them and released Normal F****** Sunglasses,” a DuckDuckGo representative said when the first batch became available. “Why? Because ultimately, the only truly privacy-respecting glasses are ones without cameras, mics, or AI listening in on you and others you come into contact with.”

The representative noted that DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg has publicly said that “AI surveillance should be banned while there is still time.”

The matte black sunglasses come in Knockaround’s Paso Robles frame design, look a lot like classic Ray-Ban Wayfarers with a small DuckDuckGo logo, and offer polarized lenses and UV400 protection. The playful website copy declares that they include no cameras, guarantee zero notifications, offer a seamless offline mode and have infinite charge. They sell for $35 a pair.

The company’s original TikTok post announcing the “dumb” sunglasses has 3.5 million views.

Humor publication The Onion published a sly post about the DuckDuckGo sunglasses, sharing comical quotes from made-up consumers. “0/10, useless for perverts,” says one fictional person. Says another, “Guess I’ll have to violate people’s privacy the old-fashioned way: From the bushes.”

CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line. See full bio