Nearby Glasses app launches to counter wearable surveillance

A new Android application called Nearby Glasses has launched, designed to scan for Bluetooth signals and alert users when someone in their vicinity is wearing smart glasses or other Bluetooth-enabled recording technology. The app constantly scans for signals emitted by wearable devices, such as those manufactured by Meta, Oakley, and Snap, offering a technical countermeasure to what critics describe as luxury surveillance.

Yves Jeanrenaud, the creator of the Nearby Glasses app, was inspired to build the tool after reading reporting by 404 Media, an independent publication, regarding wearable surveillance. This reporting detailed how Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses have been used in immigration raids and to film and harass sex workers. On the project’s page, Jeanrenaud characterized smart glasses as an intolerable intrusion, consent neglecting, horrible piece of tech. He explained that his motivation for the project came from “witnessing the sheer scale and inhumane nature of the abuse these smart glasses are involved in.” He also expressed concern over corporate decisions that he considers to be a huge floodgate pushed open for all kinds of privacy-invasive behavior.

The application operates by listening for nearby Bluetooth signals that contain a publicly assigned identifier unique to the device manufacturer. If the app detects a signal from a nearby hardware device made by Meta or Snap, it sends an alert to the user. Users can also manually add specific Bluetooth identifiers to expand the detection range. For example, adding the identifier 0x004C allows the app to search for nearby devices made by Apple. However, Jeanrenaud warned that the app may be prone to false positives, noting that it may detect a nearby virtual reality headset made by Meta and identify it as a pair of smart glasses.

Jeanrenaud acknowledged that the app is a technical solution to a social problem amplified by technology, which will not go away anytime soon. He described the project as a desperate act of resistance, hoping it would help at least someone. In response to the app’s launch, Cassie Bumgarner, a spokesperson for Snap, stated that the company’s internet-connected glasses are designed with privacy in mind, pointing to features such as LED indicators and audible recording sounds. Meta did not respond to requests for comment.

Why it matters

The launch of Nearby Glasses highlights a growing public resistance against always-recording or listening devices, which critics argue process information about nearby individuals without their consent. It represents a technical attempt to address a deeply social and technological privacy challenge.