Irked by secret recordings, programmer creates app to detect nearby smart glasses: Here’s how It works
firstpost.com Sep 13, 2026

Irked by secret recordings, programmer creates app to detect nearby smart glasses: Here’s how It works

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

A Polish developer, Pawel Szydlowski, launched the ZuckOff app to flag nearby Meta smart glasses by scanning their Bluetooth signals. The tool identifies the devices’ unique identifiers, estimates their distance, and can alert users even when running in the background. Since its debut, roughly 5,000 users have downloaded the app, motivated by viral videos showing glasses recording strangers without consent. The initiative arrives amid heightened scrutiny of AI‑enabled wearables, including Meta’s recent recall of glasses whose LED indicators were tampered with and the company’s claim that its cameras are visibly marked. Szydlowski suggests a broader ecosystem, akin to Apple’s and Google’s tracker alerts, could warn smartphones of any unfamiliar smart‑glass presence, offering a grassroots privacy safeguard.

💡 Why It Matters

  • · It gives everyday people a practical countermeasure against covert recording, turning a technical loophole into a public‑level privacy defense.