Harvard Students Expose Shocking Privacy Threat Using The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses
AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio created a real-time facial recognition system using the glasses.
Two Harvard students have developed a project called I-XRAY that utilises Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to create a real-time facial recognition system
In a video posted to X (Twitter), AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio said this system can retrieve extensive personal information, such as names, addresses, and social media profiles, simply by looking at a stranger.
The students have clarified that they do not intend to release I-XRAY or the software behind it.
Instead, the project aims to shed light on the troubling capabilities that technology companies possess but have refrained from deploying due to the risks of misuse. According to Mashable, companies like Google and Facebook have long had the technology to implement similar systems but opted not to pursue such applications.
Nguyen and Ardayfio leveraged Meta's smart glasses alongside PimEyes, a facial recognition service that allows users to upload a photo and find online images of the person in it
Once a face is detected, I-XRAY pulls data from various sources, including articles and data brokers like FastPeopleSearch, generating a profile that may include names, phone numbers, and home addresses.
In their two-minute and 32-second video, the students showcased how easily the glasses identify individuals and gather their personal information. Priced at USD300 (RM1,288), the glasses are relatively accessible, making this technology a potential risk for many.
However, Meta responded by stating that any camera technology could be adapted to use PimEyes similarly, indicating that the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are not uniquely responsible for this capability.
While there is currently no public product capable of such invasive data collection, Nguyen and Ardayfio advise individuals to take precautions
They suggest reaching out to data brokers to have personal information removed.
For instance, PimEyes offers an opt-out page, while FastPeopleSearch provides forms for users to request the removal of their data.
As technology continues to advance, the necessity of protecting personal privacy becomes ever more pressing.
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