How to recognize if someone nearby is wearing smart glasses?

Swiss sociologist and amateur programmer Yves Jeanrenaud has developed an interesting Android app that helps protect privacy in the age of smart glasses. The Nearby Glasses app scans your surroundings via Bluetooth Low Energy and alerts you if it detects devices from manufacturers such as Meta, Luxottica, or Snap. When someone is nearby wearing smart glasses with a built-in camera, the user receives a notification saying "Smart glasses are probably nearby." This is a simple protection against covert recording and surveillance.

Photo: Meta

As smart glasses become more and more discreet, privacy is a growing concern. For example, Ray-Ban Meta glasses look like regular sunglasses, but they have a built-in camera and recording capabilities. That's why programmer Yves Jeanrenaud created the Nearby Glasses app, which acts as a personal privacy guard.

The app works by constantly recording Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless connections, or short signals emitted by almost all wearable devices. When the app detects “signals” belonging to smartglasses manufacturers like Meta (including Luxottica) or Snap, it immediately notifies you with a notification: “Smartglasses are probably nearby.”

Jeanrenaud sees his app as a small part of the resistance against surveillance technology. Smart glasses allow for discreet recording without anyone noticing, which can lead to abuses, from recording in private spaces to harassment. The developer warns that such technology often encourages inappropriate behavior patterns.

The app isn't perfect, of course. It sometimes makes mistakes and detects other devices, such as the Meta Quest 2 virtual reality glasses, that use similar identifiers. Nevertheless, it's a useful tool that gives users more control over their environment. The new feature is available for download via the Google Play store as the Nearby Glasses app.