Students Show How Smart Glasses Can Dox in Real Time
Two Harvard students, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, have developed a demo, called I-XRAY, that uses existing technology like Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and public databases to showcase how easily personal information can be obtained via facial recognition. In a video, the students demonstrate how the smart glasses can identify people in real time, revealing names, addresses, and even relatives’ information by connecting to public databases. The tech uses tools like PimEyes, a face search engine, to match faces from live video streams to personal details.
The project aims to raise awareness about privacy risks associated with wearable tech. While the students don’t intend to release I-XRAY, their demo highlights how current technology can discreetly collect sensitive information. Modern smart glasses like Meta’s Ray-Bans, which look like regular eyewear, are less noticeable than older models like Google Glass, raising concerns about unnoticed surveillance. Meta’s privacy policy encourages users to respect others’ privacy, but enforcement is difficult.
Nguyen and Ardayfio suggest that people protect themselves by opting out of people search databases, though fully erasing one’s online presence is challenging. Their work underscores the need for heightened awareness and potentially stricter regulations around facial recognition in consumer devices.