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Privacy Alert: New App Detects Secret Smart Glasses
25 Feb
Summary
- A new app scans Bluetooth signals to detect nearby smart glasses.
- Smart glasses, like Meta's Ray-Ban, can record video discreetly.
- The app aims to provide a small defense against surveillance technology.
Smart glasses, increasingly prevalent with models like Meta's Ray-Ban offering advanced features, are raising privacy concerns due to their discreet recording capabilities. A new smartphone application called Nearby Glasses has been developed to address this issue.
The app functions by detecting Bluetooth signals broadcast by smart glasses, enabling users to be alerted if such devices are in their vicinity. This technology could help individuals identify potential instances of unnoticed video recording in public spaces.
Developed by Yves Jeanrenaud, the app is seen as a minor countermeasure against advanced surveillance technologies. Jeanrenaud noted that the development was spurred by reports of smart glasses being used inappropriately, including for unauthorized recording in private settings.
While the app is available on the Google Play Store and GitHub, with an iOS version planned, Jeanrenaud cautions that it is not foolproof and may generate false positives. He emphasizes that it is an imperfect technological aid for a social issue exacerbated by technology.
