College Students Using Meta’s Smart Glasses For Nefarious Reasons : Organically Human

The rise of innovative technology has always been a double-edged sword, and Meta’s latest Ray-Ban smart glasses are no exception. While designed to capture moments hands-free and share them seamlessly with social media platforms, some college students now use these glasses for unsettling purposes., subsequently raising severe privacy concerns.

A Harrowing Example of Meta’s Smart Glasses: I-XRAY Project

A Harrowing Example: I-XRAY Project with Meta’s Smart Glasses — Image Credit: AnhPhu Nguyen X

Two Harvard students, AnhPhu Nguyen, and Caine Ardayfio, recently revealed how Meta’s smart glasses could be exploited for real-time doxxing. Their project, dubbed “I-XRAY,” combines Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses with facial recognition software. Specifically, PimEyes instantly retrieves personal information about anyone the glasses capture on video. This includes sensitive data like names, home addresses, and even phone numbers. According to the students, all of this is done in a matter of seconds, using AI to scour public databases.

Real-World Testing in Public Spaces

To demonstrate the chilling potential of their project, the students conducted live tests in public places such as subways. Scanning strangers’ faces without their knowledge. Once identified, they were able to trick these unsuspecting individuals into thinking they knew them, simply by using the personal data retrieved in real time. “Some guy could just find a girl’s home address on the train and follow her home,” Nguyen warned. Pointing out the serious safety risks this technology poses if misused.

Manipulating the Glasses for Invisibility

Meta’s glasses include a privacy light, but it’s not always easily visible. — Image Credit: Amelia Holowaty Krales

What makes this situation even more alarming is that Nguyen and Ardayfio disabled the recording light on the Ray-Ban glasses, making their usage completely inconspicuous. According to Forbes, the glasses, which look like regular eyewear, can now scan people without any visual cue that they’re being recorded. This feature, combined with the inconspicuous design, heightens the potential for abuse in public spaces.

The Growing Privacy Crisis

As technology like this becomes more widespread, it raises important questions about privacy. Meta’s smart glasses are intended to enhance social interaction and communication, but they also highlight the darker side of wearable tech. Even though Meta encourages users to respect others’ privacy by using visible gestures and voice commands, cases like this show that users with bad intentions can bypass such protocols.

Conclusion: A Call for Responsible Use

As you can see from this photo, the privacy light can be very hard to see in outdoor lighting. Even at night. — Image Credit: Amelia Holowaty Krales

The I-XRAY project serves as a reminder that as smart technology advances, so do the risks to personal privacy. While the students have no intention of releasing the I-XRAY code, the very existence of this project should be a wake-up call for companies like Meta to address potential vulnerabilities in their products. If not properly regulated, this technology could have far-reaching consequences for individual safety and privacy.