A new Android app detects Meta's smart glasses through Bluetooth signals, offering a warning system as the company reportedly prepares to add facial recognition capabilities that domestic abuse charities warn could enable stalking and harassment.
Nearby Glasses, published last week by deputy professor at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences Yves Jeanrenaud, scans for manufacturer identifiers in Bluetooth Low Energy advertising data broadcast by devices including Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses.
The app notifies users when compatible smart eyewear enters their vicinity, though Jeanrenaud cautions about potential false positives from other hardware by the same manufacturer.
"This app notifies you when smart glasses are nearby," Jeanrenaud explained in the project's GitHub repository. "It uses company [identifiers] in the Bluetooth data sent out by these [devices]."
The tool arrives as Meta considers adding facial recognition to its smart glasses as early as this year, according to internal documents viewed by The New York Times.
The feature, internally called "Name Tag," would let wearers identify people and access information about them via Meta's AI assistant.
Domestic abuse organizations including Refuge and Women's Aid say such technology poses direct risks to survivors trying to stay hidden from abusers.
Emma Pickering, head of the tech-enabled abuse and economic empowerment team at Refuge, warned that instant identification tools could help perpetrators locate people attempting to maintain privacy.
Refuge reported a 62 percent increase in referrals to its specialist team dealing with technology-enabled abuse in 2025 compared with the previous year.
The charity has previously documented how wearable tech including smartwatches and glasses is being used by abusers to monitor and control victims.
Physical confrontations over smart glasses surveillance have already occurred without detection tools.
In December, a woman on the New York subway allegedly smashed Meta AI glasses worn by a TikToker after suspecting covert recording. The viral incident echoes social discomfort that emerged more than a decade ago when Google introduced network-connected eyewear.
Meta spokesperson said the company is still exploring facial recognition options and has not confirmed any rollout, adding it would take a "thoughtful approach" before introducing such features.
Regarding existing glasses, Meta notes they include an LED light that activates during recording and terms of service require lawful use.
Jeanrenaud observed that the LED indicator can be disabled through methods documented online, and many people don't recognize smart glasses as recording devices at all.
"This is not a perfect solution, but I hope it's useful for someone," he said regarding his detection app.
"Until consent and privacy are treated seriously in wearable tech, I hope this tool helps someone feel a little more safe."
Legal experts note that while video recording in public spaces is generally permitted across most jurisdictions, audio capture faces stricter regulations with 11 U.S. states requiring consent from all parties involved.
