Local Glasses app monitors smart glasses users around you

New App Detects Nearby Smart Glasses

Not quite comfortable in the spotlight? A new application may help. It lets users know if anyone around them is wearing smart glasses.

Smart glasses can easily be mistaken for regular eyewear, which raises concerns since they could be recording without you even realizing it. The app, called “Nearby Glasses,” scans for signals from Bluetooth-enabled devices, including wearables from companies like Meta and Snap, as well as potentially other devices that can record constantly.

Here’s how it works: the app listens for specific Bluetooth signals tied to device manufacturers. If it picks up a Meta or Snap device nearby, it will send an alert. Users also have the option to add their own Bluetooth identifiers to increase the range of detectable wearables.

To keep the app active, users must allow background services and hit “Start Scan.” The app’s activity can be monitored in a debug log.

The developer, Yves Jeanneau, described smart glasses as “a scary technology” that intrudes on privacy without consent. His aim was motivated by witnessing the extensive abuses associated with these devices.

Jeanneau remarked that smart glasses could lead to significant privacy violations. He pointed to instances where users were filmed without their consent during events such as immigration raids and in businesses like massage parlors.

However, he noted that the app might sometimes give false alerts, such as mistaking a Meta virtual reality headset for smart glasses. Yet, most people would recognize a VR headset at a glance.

“This app is a response to a frightening reality, aiming to help others,” Jeanneau explained. He acknowledged that while it offers a tech solution to a deeper social issue, the problem is likely to persist.

Currently, the app is only available on Android, although there is a desire for an iPhone version. Its development mainly depends on Jeanneau’s spare time, and he continues to roll out new features.

Once a device is identified, users can respond in various ways. Jeanneau imagined situations similar to an incident where someone confronted a man filming on the subway with smart glasses.

This app arrives amidst rising concerns about privacy in relation to smart glasses. Some users online have expressed their strong feelings about this technology, with one stating they look forward to confronting those who record without consent.