As reported by Wccftech, Meta's smart glasses have been generating significant interest due to their combination of style and functionality. The built-in cameras and hands-free interface have made them appealing to a wide range of users, particularly the younger demographic. Recently, a pair of Harvard students have been utilizing these smart glasses to obtain personal information from strangers, sparking concerns about privacy.
The Ray-Ban smart glasses from Meta offer a fashionable wearable with smart features that enable hands-free interaction. These students have integrated the glasses with a facial recognition system to automatically gather information about strangers in public spaces.
According to 404media, the facial recognition system, known as I-XRAY, can retrieve personal details such as phone numbers, addresses, and even social security numbers of strangers. The system operates by simply looking at the individual. While the software capabilities have been widely discussed, it is the hardware, specifically the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, that has been the focus of attention.
Nguyen and Ardayfio developed I-XRAY using Meta's smart glasses in conjunction with PimEyes facial recognition software, which is currently the largest search engine for faces.
The entire process of gathering information about an individual is automated, with the smart glasses initiating data retrieval as soon as a face comes into view. In a demonstration video shared on X, AnhPhu Nguyen explained:
"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 also mentioned that they were able to access the information of numerous Harvard students without their knowledge. In response to the widespread attention garnered by this project, Meta stated that the PimEyes software can be used with any similar hardware equipped with a camera and that there is nothing specific in Meta's smart glasses that facilitates this project.
The students defended their choice of Meta's smart glasses by pointing out that the hardware resembles regular glasses, unlike other wearables, and does not appear to be a device. This makes it easier to gather information about strangers using the device. They also cited the affordable price of $300 as another reason for choosing this particular wearable, as it costs much less than comparable products.
The use of facial recognition software and hardware to access personal information of strangers raises significant privacy concerns. The students suggested that users can protect themselves from such information gathering by contacting data brokers, opting out of search engines, and requesting data removal.
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