Meta Smart Glasses Become A Bad Dream Of Privacy After Students Add Facial Recognition Technology

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are a terrible stalking tool (screenshot photo @AnhPhuNguyen1)

JAKARTA - Two students have turned Ray-Ban Meta's smart glasses into a terrible stalking tool by adding facial recognition technology. They managed to show how this device can identify faces and connect them with personal information such as name, phone number, address, and family members.

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses is a state-of-the-art technology that is capable of livestreaming and using Meta's AI. However, it is not the technology that is in the spotlight, but because these glasses look like ordinary sunglasses, it makes it difficult to recognize as a high-tech device. Two students, AnhPhu Nguyen andome Ardayfio, developed an application called I-XRAY to highlight the dangerous potential of these glasses.

Are we ready for a world where our data is exposed at a glance? @CaineArdayfio and I offer an answer to protect yourself here:https://t.co/LhxModhDpk pic.twitter.com/Oo35TxBNtD

— AnhPhu Nguyen (@AnhPhuNguyen1) September 30, 2024

Are we ready for a world where our data is exposed at a glance? @CaineArdayfio and I offer an answer to protect yourself here:https://t.co/LhxModhDpk pic.twitter.com/Oo35TxBNtD

The I-XRAY app uses the ability of livestream glasses to Instagram, then a computer program monitors the flow and uses AI to recognize faces. The photos taken are then matched with a public database to find relevant personal information. As a result, users can see detailed information about the people recognized by the app.

Although facial recognition technology is not new, the widespread use of this technology in widely available consumer products such as Ray-Ban Meta glasses carries new challenges. These glasses are very difficult for ordinary people to recognize as recording devices, so most people may not realize that they are being recorded.

Luckily, Nguyen and Ardayfio are not planning to release this application to the public. They explained that the purpose of this project is to raise awareness of potential privacy risks, not to be misused. They want to emphasize that "taking personal information such as home addresses only from someone's face on the street is now possible."

With increasing concerns about privacy, this case reminds us of the potential risks of technology that is increasingly hidden in our daily lives.