Amidst the news that Meta is planning to add terrifying facial recognition features to its Ray-Ban smart glasses — plus, per the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Meta’s employees are likely watching footage meant to be completely private – one thing’s clear: smart glasses could be dangerous if used inappropriately. Worse yet, they’re getting harder and harder to spot, as many models look like a simple pair of sunglasses or prescription eyewear, by design.
AI glasses from companies like XGIMI are an excellent example. You’d hardly know they’re “smart” or AI-enabled by looking at them, similar to Meta’s. You can be recorded by someone wearing a pair and have no idea, which doesn’t bode well for egregious breaches of privacy and safety. Fortunately, a resourceful developer has created a mobile app, called Nearby Glasses, that can sniff out people wearing smart glasses nearby.
Once installed on your device and opened, it analyzes the local area to discover the Bluetooth identification of select devices. When it detects that someone is wearing smart glasses, it sends you an alert. They might be hard to spot with the naked eye, but with an app like this, you’ll know they’re being used within your proximity. With the tech being adopted more widely, and more companies are looking to release similar products, it could all become very invasive very soon, and an app that helps you identify them in the wild is invaluable.
How does the app work?
The app is currently programmed to detect smart glasses from Meta, including the Ray-Ban models, and Snapchat’s SNAP Spectacles. More may be added later as they launch and are more widely seen in the public eye. Nearby Glasses scans for Bluetooth signals exclusive to these devices. These signatures are mandatory and can’t be hidden while in use.
That said, the app’s developer makes clear (via GitHub) that there can be false positives caused by nearby VR headsets, so it’s not always a guarantee that there are smart glasses nearby when you see an alert. If you look around and don’t see anyone wearing VR headsets, which are bulky and obvious compared to smart glasses, there are probably some unwanted devices nearby. Do note that harassing someone because you think they are wearing a surveillance device could be a criminal offense.
You’re not meant to confront anyone with the information the app is sharing. The app’s developer says that the app is merely meant to be used as a tool to help you avoid smart glasses and the wearer, if possible. Moreover, not all smart glasses are necessarily used for nefarious purposes. There are some designed to help those who are visually impaired to see better. Similar tech may help people with macular degeneration see more clearly, as well.
