Recording people with smart glasses without their permission has become a rising concern in many countries. Recently, a Russian man was accused in Ghana and Kenya of recording intimate encounters with women without their consent.
There may be a potential response to that problem: a new app called Nearby Glasses, developed by Yves Jeanrenaud. The app detects Bluetooth signals from smart glasses with built-in cameras, alerting users that such devices may be nearby. It is available on the Google Play Store and GitHub. After granting permissions, users tap “Start Scanning,” and the app begins searching for compatible smart glasses in the area.
Jeanrenaud says he built that feature by referencing Bluetooth manufacturer identifiers tied to companies like Meta, Snap Inc., and Luxottica Group, the parent company behind Ray-Ban’s smart glasses.
This innovation couldn’t come at a more critical time. A recent report from the New York Times claimed that Meta has explored adding a facial recognition feature called “Name Tag” to its smart glasses, a tool that could identify people and personal information about them that they have not shared willingly. That kind of capability raises obvious concerns about consent.
Jeanrenaud doesn’t present Nearby Glasses as a cure-all. “I consider it to be a tiny part of resistance against surveillance tech,” he told 404 Media. He also admits some limitations that the app has, including the likelihood to produce false negatives. Not every device constantly broadcasts detectable signals. Some could disable Bluetooth entirely.
That nuance is important, according to him.
This tool offers awareness, not certainty. “Harassing someone because you think they are wearing a covert surveillance device can be a criminal offense,” Jeanrenaud cautions.
Suspicion alone doesn’t justify confrontation.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
