Meta’s Ray Ban smart glasses let you tap into augmented reality instantly and come with built-in cameras to capture the world around you using photos and videos. Turns out, these disguised cameras can also be easily used the wrong way.
Two Harvard students have created a system that combines smart glasses with facial recognition technology, enabling users to instantly access personal information about strangers in public spaces.
The system, dubbed I-XRAY, has been integrated with Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, as reported by 404media. This combination allows wearers to potentially retrieve sensitive data about individuals they encounter, including phone numbers, addresses, and even social security numbers, simply by looking at them.
Here is how it works, according to the two students who posted a demo video on X:
We stream the video from the glasses straight to Instagram and have a computer program monitor the stream. We use AI to detect when we’re looking at someone’s face, then we scour the internet to find more pictures of that person. Finally, we use data sources like online articles and voter registration databases to figure out their name, phone number, home address and relatives’ names.
The students behind the I-XRAY project claimed they successfully accessed the personal information of numerous fellow students without their knowledge or consent. This demonstration has ignited controversy surrounding privacy and surveillance in public spaces.
Responding to the growing buzz around this project, Meta, issued a statement distancing their product from the controversy. The tech giant emphasized that the PimEyes software utilized in the project could potentially be used with any camera-equipped device, asserting that their smart glasses do not offer any unique features that specifically facilitate this type of surveillance.
However, the students defended their choice of Meta’s smart glasses, citing two key factors. Firstly, they pointed out that the device’s inconspicuous design, resembling everyday eyewear, makes it less likely to draw attention compared to other wearable technologies or actual cameras.
Secondly, the students highlighted the affordability of the Meta smart glasses, priced at $300, significantly undercutting similar products in the market.