Students used Meta's smart glasses to reveal information about strangers through Instagram broadcasts.

A recent report has highlighted potential privacy violations that could arise with the use of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Two Harvard students have implemented facial recognition technology along with a large language model to gather detailed information about subjects, including name, occupation, and other relevant data. Their tool, called I-XRAY, allows for the collection of additional information such as address, phone number, family data, and partial Social Security numbers from various online sources, all of which is done automatically.

Although this type of technology could be used with different cameras, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio chose Meta's smart glasses for their appearance, which is almost indistinguishable from regular glasses, and for including a camera. In a demonstration video, the students use the glasses to quickly obtain information about people they encounter in public places. They approach what appear to be strangers, calling them by name and commenting on their job or a place where they might have seen them before, information they obtain through their facial recognition system.

The video reveals that the students stream live video from the glasses to a social media platform, where a software program monitors the feed. Once the artificial intelligence detects someone's face, their I-XRAY system retrieves more images of that person from the web along with public information. The data is then sent back to a mobile application created by them, and this process can be completed in just a few minutes.

Nguyen and Ardayfio have stated that they developed I-XRAY to raise awareness about the possibilities of this technology and have decided not to share the code used. One of them pointed out that while some envisioned its use for networking purposes or pranks on friends, others expressed serious security concerns. "Anyone could get someone's home address on the train and follow them home," Nguyen warned.

In an explanatory document about the technology behind their system, the students provide resources to help individuals remove their information from the services used by I-XRAY. Those concerned about their privacy may also consider options like personal information removal services.

Although this type of technology is not completely new, as Meta and Google have had the capability to apply facial recognition to a camera feed for years without making it public, the possibility of using it in seemingly harmless smart glasses—except for a light indicating that the camera is recording—could raise concerns. When asked, Meta referred interested parties to the terms of service for an application that accompanies the glasses, emphasizing the responsibility for the proper and legal use of the tool, as well as the importance of respecting the privacy of other individuals.