Two Harvard students recently presented a disturbing demonstration of how easily personal data can be accessed using everyday technology. By combining Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with facial recognition software and publicly available databases, the pair illustrated how quickly someone’s identity, contact details and even family connections can be revealed, instantly turning strangers into recognizable profiles . The project, known as I-XRAY, highlights the profound risks associated with advances in AI and facial recognition technology.

An amazing experiment: facial recognition in action

Harvard students AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio demonstrated the I-XRAY project using Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, a device with built-in live streaming capabilities and an AI-powered program designed to identify faces in real time . By simply pointing the glasses at someone, the software identifies them and pulls information such as name, address, phone number and family ties from public databases. The results are then displayed via a phone app.

During the demonstration, Nguyen and Ardayfio used the glasses to gather private information about classmates, which included details about their family members and home addresses. For an even tougher demonstration, they tested the glasses on strangers in public places, giving the illusion of knowing those individuals based on the extracted data. “The purpose of building this tool is not for misuse and we are not releasing it.” Nguyen and Ardayfio explained. They emphasized that their intention was to raise awareness of the potential misuse of existing technology, per The Verge.

Missteps in facial recognition and the human cost

The controversy surrounding facial recognition is not new. In one notable case, Detroit police misidentified Robert Williamswrongfully arresting him for shoplifting based on faulty facial recognition data. The incident resulted in a $300,000 settlement for Williams, highlighting the real-world repercussions of misidentifications in facial recognition software. However, recent advances in technology have increased its accuracy, as shown by I-XRAY, which merely combines pre-existing tools into a powerful example of privacy invasion.

A key tool behind I-XRAY is PimEyes, a face search engine praised for its accuracy. The New York Times previously described PimEyes as “alarmingly accurate,” accessible to anyone looking to uncover details about an individual’s life. The public has raised significant privacy concerns about facial recognition since companies like Clearview AI began providing data to law enforcement. Nguyen and Ardayfio’s project suggests that even tools designed for consumer convenience, such as smart glasses, can be used in privacy-infringing ways when coupled with facial recognition technology.

How smart glasses compromise privacy

The I-XRAY demonstration was made possible by the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, a product that looks like standard glasses but includes discrete video recording capabilities. These glasses have a tiny light to signal recording, but in bright or crowded spaces, the indicator is easily overlooked, allowing covert recording. While Meta’s privacy guidelines encourage users to “respect people’s preferences” and notify others before recording, there is no surefire way to prevent people from circumventing these guidelines.

The privacy implications surrounding smart glasses are not without precedent. Google Glass, introduced more than a decade ago, faced similar backlash for its potential to record people without consent. Although society has become more accustomed to being recorded due to the prevalence of smartphones and social media, the subtlety of modern smart glasses renews these concerns. In an age of heightened awareness, public acceptance of portable recording devices remains conflicted.

Steps to protect your fingerprint

While Nguyen and Ardayfio’s demonstration is a reminder of the troubling potential of the technology, individuals have options to protect their data from such misuse. A proactive measure is to opt out of reverse face lookup and people lookup databases. By doing so, users may make it more difficult for others to find personal information through online searches.

To opt out, individuals can visit the respective sites that host their data, often finding a dedicated “opt out” or “request removal” page. This involves submitting a request to remove personal information, including associated images. However, the removal of information from some of these databases is not always complete, as persistent digital traces may remain.

The growing debate over technology coverage

As technologies evolve, so do the ethical concerns surrounding their use. While I-XRAY is only a student project intended to provoke discussion, it exemplifies the broader need for policy discussion and safeguards. As technological advances like these become more accessible, industry leaders and lawmakers may need to revise current privacy regulations to address the power of facial recognition and wearable technology in everyday life.