A hobbyist app developer who became “frustrated” by reports Meta glasses are being used to film women and girls without their consent has created a way to alert people if someone using the eyewear is nearby.
Yves Jeanrenaud’s app Nearby Glasses scans for Bluetooth signals emitted by the eyewear and sends users a push notification if they are close to someone wearing them. Since being launched three weeks ago, the free app has had around 78,000 downloads.
Meta has come under fire for privacy and safety concerns surrounding the technology, including from women who say they have been left feeling “violated” and “scared” after they were recorded without permission by men using the glasses. Last month, domestic abuse charities told The Independent that plans by Meta to add AI facial recognition features to the eyewear posed serious risks to women and girls through the potential for harassment and stalking.
Mr Jeanrenaud, 44, said he was motivated to make the app after reading about sex workers being filmed covertly and ridiculed in the US.
“It was mostly frustration,” he said. “I’d seen similar things on social media before, but I hadn’t known the scale of the phenomenon. So I thought, maybe I could do something.”
The amateur developer, who works full-time as a gender studies scholar at a German university, learned to write software code as a teenager but only builds apps in his spare time. He explained he was particularly concerned by Meta glasses because of their covert design that allows them to appear almost identical to regular glasses, meaning subjects are often unaware they are being filmed.
“I thought maybe it is helpful for people to know when such a device is around them, especially because they pass quite well as regular eyewear,” he said. “We all have smartphones with cameras and microphones, and it’s not that hard to do recording covertly. But usually, if you want to record someone, they might notice because you have to position that phone. These glasses, you don’t have to position.”
He said he was “surprised” by the popularity of the app, which is currently only available for android devices. Mr Jeanrenaud added he has had “mostly positive” feedback, largely from women and girls who have installed it over safety concerns.
The app is only able to detect the presence of the glasses, and cannot tell whether somebody is recording or not. Mr Jeanrenaud said because many people get the glasses for everyday prescription use, the app may pick up the eyewear being worn innocently in places such as public bathrooms and changing rooms, where it may raise an alarm.
But he believes responsibility for the issue lies with Meta for creating the covert design.
Meta glasses feature a light that turns on when filming. But dozens of tutorials exist online telling users how to transform them into “stealth mode” and remove the light. In a comment to The Independent, Meta insisted many of these methods are not effective.
Mr Jeanrenaud said he was particularly concerned by recent reports of private and intimate footage filmed on Meta glasses being viewed by outsourced workers. The UK’s data watchdog said it has written to Meta following the reports to clarify how the company is adhering to UK data protection laws.
“It’s really horrible that this happens and that we, as societies, haven’t found regulations to prevent this,” he said, adding he thinks the technology is a “bad thing”.
“I don’t think it’s something we can just stand by silently and watch happening,” he continued. “I’m not an activist. I wouldn’t have the time and the spirit to engage in this discussion more. So this app is something to just help people be aware that these (glasses) might be around.”
A Meta spokesperson said the company was aware a “small number of users” choose to “misuse” their products despite measures in place, including an LED light that activates during filming and “tamper detection technology” to prevent the light from being covered.
It added that the company is ”dedicated to providing “valuable, safe, and innovative products for people” and continually reviews opportunities to enhance its smart glasses.
A Meta spokesperson said: “Our terms of service clearly state that users are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and should not tamper with the product.
“As with any recording device, including phones, people should use smart glasses in a safe, respectful manner, which includes not engaging in harmful activities like harassment, infringing privacy rights, or capturing sensitive information. We are aware that there are small numbers of users who choose to misuse our products, despite the measures we have put in place. We are dedicated to delivering valuable, safe, and innovative products for people and continually review opportunities to enhance our AI glasses, informed by customer feedback and ongoing research.”
