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One of the main problems with “fancy surveillance” devices, such as smart glasses with built-in video recording cameras, is that they often look indistinguishable from regular glasses, meaning you could be being recorded without knowing it.
But now there’s an app that can detect and alert you when someone near you is wearing smart glasses, or potentially other permanent recording technologies.
Android app, aptly named Near glassesconstantly looks for nearby signals emitted by Bluetooth-enabled technology, such as wearable devices made by Meta (and Oakley) and Snap.
The app is launching at a time when there is growing resistance against always-on recording or listening devices, which critics say process information about people nearby who do not give their consent.
Yves Jeanrenaud, who created the app, first spoke to 404 media About the project, he said he was partly inspired to make the near glasses after reading independent publication reports about wearable monitoring devices, including how Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses It’s done Used in immigration raids And to Filming and harassing sex workers.
On the application project page, Jeanrenaud described Smartglasses as “an intolerable intrusion, a neglect of consent, and a terrible piece of technology.”
Jeanreno told TechCrunch in an email that his motivation came from “witnessing the sheer scale and inhumane nature of the abuse these smart glasses engage in.” Jeanreno also cited Meta’s decision to do so Implement facial recognition as a default feature In her smart glasses, “which I see as a huge open gateway to all kinds of privacy-invading behavior.”
The app works by listening for nearby Bluetooth signals that contain a file Publicly assigned identifier Unique to the manufacturer of the Bluetooth device. If the app detects a Bluetooth signal from a nearby device made by Meta or Snap, the app will send an alert to the user. (The app also allows users to add their own Bluetooth IDs, allowing the user to discover a broader range of wearable monitoring tools.)
The app may be vulnerable to false positives, Genrino said. This means the app might detect a nearby Meta virtual reality headset and alert the user into thinking it’s a pair of smart glasses made by the same device manufacturer. However, VR headsets are usually larger and more visible to the person wearing the device.
To try this out, I downloaded the app on my Android phone and walked around my city. (To my surprise) I found no one wearing smart glasses, nor did I receive an alert.
But since the app allowed it, I added a specific Bluetooth ID (0x004C), which allowed me to scan for nearby Apple-made devices — and my test device was immediately filled with alerts (as you might expect), likely picking up every Apple-made device near me.
This showed that the application worked as designed.
Jeanrenaud is still adding new features, and the iPhone app is in demand, but it depends on free time and availability.
Speaking about the app, Genreno said: “Of course, it’s a technical solution to a social problem (which is amplified by technology), and it’s not going away anytime soon,” describing the app as a “desperate act of resistance, in the hope that it will help at least someone.”
Spokespeople for Meta and Snap did not respond to TechCrunch’s requests for comment.