A significant issue with luxury surveillance devices, such as smart glasses with built-in video cameras, is that they often look identical to regular eyewear. This means you could be recorded without your knowledge. Now, a new Android app aims to detect and alert you when someone nearby is wearing smart glasses or similar always-recording technology.
The app, named Nearby Glasses, constantly scans for Bluetooth signals emitted by wearable devices from companies like Meta and Snap. It launches amid growing public resistance against always-on recording devices, which critics argue gather information from people without their consent.
The app’s creator, Yves Jeanrenaud, was inspired to develop Nearby Glasses after reading reports about the misuse of wearable surveillance devices. These reports included how Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses have been used in immigration raids and to film and harass sex workers. On the app’s project page, Jeanrenaud described smart glasses as an intolerable intrusion and a consent-neglecting piece of technology.
Jeanrenaud stated his motivation came from witnessing the scale and inhumane nature of the abuse involving these glasses. He also cited Meta’s decision to implement facial recognition as a default feature in its smart glasses, which he views as opening the floodgates for privacy-invasive behavior.
The app operates by listening for nearby Bluetooth signals that contain a unique identifier assigned to a device’s manufacturer. If it detects a signal from a Meta or Snap device, it sends an alert to the user. The app also allows users to add specific Bluetooth identifiers manually, enabling the detection of a wider range of wearable surveillance gadgets.
Jeanrenaud notes the app may produce false positives. For instance, it might detect a Meta virtual reality headset and alert the user as if it were smart glasses. However, VR headsets are typically larger and more obvious to spot.
In a practical test, loading the app on an Android phone and walking around a city neighborhood initially found no smart glasses wearers. However, after adding a common Bluetooth identifier for Apple devices, the phone was immediately flooded with alerts, demonstrating the app’s functionality by picking up numerous nearby Apple products.
Jeanrenaud is still adding new features and acknowledges demand for an iPhone version, though development depends on his spare time and availability. He describes the app as a technical solution to a social problem amplified by technology, calling it a desperate act of resistance meant to help at least some people.
Spokespeople for Meta and Snap did not respond to requests for comment on the app.