New App Alerts Users to Potential Smart Glass Surveillance

A new mobile application called Nearby Glasses is offering a digital early-warning system for those concerned about being recorded by wearable cameras. The app, currently available on the Google Play Store and GitHub, scans for the distinct Bluetooth signals emitted by devices like Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses and sends a user's phone a notification of their potential presence.

The tool was created by developer Yves Jeanrenaud, who described it to tech outlet 404 Media as "a tiny part of resistance against surveillance tech." His project responds to growing reports of such glasses being used to capture video of unsuspecting people in public and private settings.

Privacy anxieties around smart eyewear are intensifying. Meta is said to be developing facial recognition capabilities for its Ray-Bans, and OpenAI is also reportedly working on its own model. While not foolproof—the app can sometimes be triggered by other devices like VR headsets—Nearby Glasses provides a layer of awareness in an era of increasingly discreet recording technology. It represents a grassroots countermeasure as legislative debates over digital privacy continue.