Nearby Glasses App Spots Smart Eyewear Nearby
The Nearby Glasses app helps people detect smart eyewear in public spaces. The Android tool scans for Bluetooth signals from wearable devices. As a result, users receive alerts if supported hardware appears nearby. Developer Yves Jeanrenaud created the app after reading reports about surveillance wearables. He said some smart glasses enable recording without clear consent. Therefore, he wanted to give people more awareness and control.
The app listens for Bluetooth Identifiers linked to device makers. For example, it can detect products from Meta and Snap. If it finds a match, it sends a notification. Users can also add custom Bluetooth identifiers. This option allows broader scanning for other connected gadgets. In testing, adding an identifier for Apple triggered multiple alerts in crowded areas.
Privacy Concerns Drive New Tool
The Nearby Glasses app arrives amid growing debate over wearable surveillance. Critics argue that always-recording devices affect bystanders who never agreed to be filmed. Jeanrenaud described the project as a response to privacy risks. He also raised concerns about face recognition features in smart eyewear. However, he admits the app may produce false positives. For instance, the tool could flag a virtual reality headset instead of glasses. Still, most larger devices remain easy to spot in real life. At launch, the app works only on Android. An iPhone version may arrive later, depending on time and resources. Ultimately, the app offers a technical response to a social challenge. It cannot stop recording devices. Yet it can inform users when compatible gadgets operate nearby.
