Consumer brain-wave wearables hit the market as neural privacy takes center stage

Consumer devices that read brain activity are moving from labs into homes, and privacy advocates say the data they collect could become the most sensitive personal information yet. A December 2025 feature in WIRED describes how EEG headbands and headphones for sleep and focus are joining a wider wave of non-invasive neurotechnology, even as regulators and researchers warn that mental-state signals may invite advertising, workplace monitoring, and other misuse.