Harvard Students Expose How Meta Glasses Can be Transformed Into AI-Powered Surveillance Tool

Key Takeaways

• Two Harvard students showed how Meta smart glasses can reveal personal information.
• They demonstrated how smart glasses combined with facial recognition can pose a significant threat to individual privacy.
• The students provided tips to opt out of image searches.

Two Harvard students turned Meta’s smart glasses  into a powerful artificial intelligence (AI)-powered surveillance tool to demonstrate how the line between innovation and privacy invasion has become increasingly blurred.

Their I-XRAY project exposes the unsettling potential for misuse of everyday technology. However, they also suggested ways to prevent this.

Meta Glasses Turn Into Surveillance Tool

Two Harvard students have demonstrated how Meta’s smart glasses, combined with facial recognition technology, can instantly reveal personal information.

Using widely available technology like Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and public databases, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio have developed a system  that can dox individuals, revealing their names, phone numbers, and addresses in real time.

The demo, dubbed I-XRAY, works by livestreaming video from the smart glasses to a computer program. This program uses AI to identify faces in the footage and then searches public databases for corresponding information. The results are then displayed on a connected phone app.

In a disturbing demonstration, the students were able to identify classmates, their addresses, and even relatives. More alarmingly, they approached strangers on public transportation, pretending to know them based on the information gathered. This highlights the potential for misuse and the serious privacy implications of such technology.

Privacy Concerns

The implications of this technology have sparked significant concerns about privacy and doxing. Doxing involves the malicious practice of searching for and publicly disclosing private personal information about an individual or organization.

In their documentation, the two students acknowledged that their initial ‘side project’ quickly evolved into a tool with serious privacy implications. They emphasized that their intention was not to create a harmful tool but to demonstrate current technology’s potential dangers.

By showcasing how easily personal details can be extracted from a person’s face in public, they aimed to raise awareness about the urgent need for stronger privacy protections.

It’s important to note that Meta’s privacy policy  explicitly warns users against abusing the Ray-Ban glasses, underscoring the potential risks associated with such technology.

The potential for privacy violations has been a recurring issue with wearable technology, particularly smart glasses. Google Glass, an early adopter, faced these concerns over a decade ago.

How To Remove Your Data

The two students also provided resources to help users manage their online presence and reduce the risk of identity theft. One key step is removing your face from reverse face search engines. Platforms like Pimeyes and Facecheck.id allow users to upload a photo and find similar faces across the web. Fortunately, both offer free opt-out services to remove your images from their searches, though Facecheck.id may require verification through a government ID.

Another important step is removing information from people search websites. These platforms can disclose personal details, such as your address, phone number, and even relatives’ names, based on your name alone.

Users can use opt-out services from major players like FastPeopleSearch, CheckThem, and Instant Checkmate. To protect against identity theft from Social Security Number (SSN) leaks, safeguarding your SSN is essential as its misuse can lead to financial harm.

They also suggest enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for an additional layer of security on your accounts, requiring a code beyond your password. Additionally, freezing credit can prevent credit bureaus from issuing new lines of credit in your name, making it harder for fraudsters to access financial resources.