This new app is critical... it detects and alerts you if someone nearby is recording through glasses equipped with hidden cameras.
Smart glasses have grown in popularity, becoming commonplace on the streets. Their popularity appears to be increasing, with new models being released on a regular basis and seemingly every major brand (including Apple) showing interest in them. However, they are not only impressive technological products; they also raise a number of privacy and security issues. Most record video almost invisibly, and while they do emit a faint light while recording, there are ways to avoid this visual cue.
The best-known example is Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which conceal a system of speakers, microphones, cameras, and sensors, allowing you to listen to music and record video through semi-transparent lenses. Not only are they invisible, but they are virtually indistinguishable from conventional glasses.
This aspect of its design, along with the built-in camera, has long been a source of controversy and complaints among privacy advocates. Anyone wearing these glasses can record you without your knowledge, and they have already been used to cheat on exams, leak videos in government buildings where phone use is prohibited, and much more.
If you're a user concerned about Ray-Ban Meta glasses and all smart glasses, we have good news for you. A developer has released a smartphone app that detects these devices and alerts you if they're nearby. It not only detects whether they're recording but also whether they're powered on.
The app, called Nearby Glasses, promises to scan your surroundings for connected smart glasses. If it detects any, it alerts you. How does it work? Quite simply: the app looks for the Bluetooth IDs that these devices constantly transmit, and when it finds one, it means someone nearby is using them.
The app is even more interesting. Our devices can detect the strength of the Bluetooth signal they receive, so the developer of Neraby glasses doesn't just collect the glasses' ID but also displays the signal strength. What's the point? The app lets you adjust different signal strength levels so that alerts are only sent when the smart glasses are very close.
By default, the level is set to "-75 dB," meaning it detects smart glasses at a distance of 3 to 10 meters. However, you can lower or raise this value to narrow or widen the detection range for your phone. I've run some tests, and the app works perfectly.
Important note: The developer points out that some of the Bluetooth IDs for Ray-Ban Meta headsets are shared with other Meta products, so you might receive a notification if someone is using a Quest VR headset nearby, for example. However, these IDs are easily detectable with the naked eye.
Link Nearby Glasses