Show HN: Glasses to detect smart-glasses that have cameras

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

The Hacker News discussion revolves primarily around the feasibility, ethics, and implications of detecting hidden or recording cameras, particularly those embedded in smart glasses.

Here are the 3 most prevalent themes:

1. The Inevitability and Acceptance of Constant Surveillance vs. The Desire for Privacy Control

There is a stark division between users who view constant recording as an unavoidable, if dystopian, reality that society must accept, and those who insist on maintaining the right to privacy and individual control over being recorded.

Supporting Quotes:
- On the acceptance side: "It's like people listening to music without any headphones on the train — technically has been possible for ages but previously would've gotten you told to turn it off. Now it barely gets a raised eyebrow." ("another-dave")
- On the need for control: "I think your ‘freedom’ infringes on other people's ‘rights’. I think rights should trumps freedoms, that is, your liberty ends where someone else's right to privacy begins." ("port11")
- On the feeling of resignation: "I think this generation will be remembered for how desperately it tried to cling onto privacy over our public image well beyond what should have been the reasonable time to acknowledge its passing." ("elif")

2. Legal Ambiguity and Jurisdictional Nuances Regarding Public Recording

The discussion highlights significant confusion and variation in laws regarding recording in public spaces, especially concerning whether continuous recording constitutes illegal data gathering (like creating a database) versus acceptable street photography.

Supporting Quotes:
- On US constitutional protection: "In the USA, at least, the right to record in public is protected by the First Amendment." ("hackingonempty")
- On EU/GDPR complexity: "In most eu countries, you can record in public, but gathering identifying data ("making a database") is strictly regulated, and that includes faces from those photos." ("ajsnigrutin")
- On the difference between snapshot vs. continuous recording: "There are many nuances in privacy law, not just pertaining to photo vs. 24/7 recording, but also expectation of privacy, intent, etc." ("ajsnigrutin")

3. Technical Approaches and Countermeasures for Detecting Cameras

A central thread is the technical exploration of how devices like the proposed anti-camera glasses might work, focusing on detection methods such as analyzing wireless traffic (like Bluetooth) or detecting optical reflections (like using IR light).

Supporting Quotes:
- On reflection detection: "The idea of being constantly monitored by a megacorp tracking all my movements wih their swarm of cameras... Counter-sniper systems that scan for reflections from optics have existed for twenty years already." ("anilakar")
- On distinguishing noise from recording: "The idea with detection is not to prevent public recording, it's to know you're being recorded so you can act accordingly." ("arionmiles")
- On detecting wireless protocols: "Regular pairing, advertising and control likley use Bluetooth LE for simplicity and battery life. Streaming or transferring video likley use Bluetooth classic for increased bandwidth." ("aDyslecticCrow")

🚀 Project Ideas

Project 1: Privacy Beacon Glasses (The "Ban-Ray" Detector)

Summary

A wearable device (glasses or clip-on accessory) designed to actively detect and alert the user when another person (wearing smart glasses, hidden cameras, or smartphones actively recording) is pointed at them.
Core value proposition: Providing individuals with real-time awareness and agency regarding clandestine recording in public spaces, addressing the anxiety expressed regarding pervasive surveillance ("I want to be protected from hidden cameras from other peoples glasses," "The idea with detection is not to prevent public recording, it's to know you're being recorded so you can act accordingly.").

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Privacy-conscious individuals, activists, people concerned about covert surveillance in social or private interactions.
Core Feature	Dual detection system: 1) Passive/Active IR reflection scanning (like the proposed solutions) to find lenses, and 2) BLE/Wi-Fi Direct sniffing to identify active transmission profiles of known smart glasses (like Meta/Google).
Tech Stack	Microcontroller (e.g., RP2040 or ESP32 for BLE/Wi-Fi sniffing), low-power IR LEDs, photodiode array, small custom PCB, Android/iOS companion app for calibration/alerts.
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

Users specifically ask for the ability to know when they are being recorded, making detection the key feature, not necessarily jamming or interference ("It becomes an oversight to a deliberate act only if the recording person knows that he was detected.").
The dual-detection method (optical + wireless) addresses skepticism about filtering out existing devices and targets the specific pain point of modern smart glasses emitting detectable signals.

Project 2: Localized GDPR/Privacy Compliance Auditor for Public Spaces

Summary

A mobile application or web tool that uses crowdsourced geolocation data and user input to map prevailing regional privacy expectations and enforcement nuances (particularly EU GDPR vs. US First Amendment interpretations).
Core value proposition: Translating complex, jurisdiction-specific privacy laws into actionable, simple rules for street photographers, journalists, or businesses regarding public recording ("It's complicated and will vary from member state to member state," regarding what constitutes illegal data gathering).

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Street photographers, independent videographers, small business owners running exterior CCTV.
Core Feature	Geolocation-based rulebook display: Shows if continuous 24/7 recording is generally permitted, rules on blurring faces/vehicles, and mandated signage requirements (especially relevant for private property pointing at public areas).
Tech Stack	Mobile application (React Native/Flutter), Geo-fencing/Location Services, Backend API (PostgreSQL/PostGIS) for storing and querying regional rule sets based on location taxonomy.
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

This tackles the legal confusion explicitly mentioned: "You can record in public, but you can’t point cameras at public areas?" and the nuances of 'gathering identifying data'.
It provides practical utility for citizens debating acceptable public behavior, moving beyond philosophical arguments to concrete local bylaws.

Project 3: On-Device Conversational Buffer Recorder (The "Personal Evidence Vault")

Summary

A discreet, user-controlled wearable device (or mobile app) that continuously records the last 60 seconds of audio/video into temporary, volatile memory (a rolling buffer), only writing data to secure, local storage upon explicit user command (e.g., pressing a button).
Core value proposition: Allowing individuals to capture critical moments of interaction (gaslighting, disputes, misconduct) without continuously streaming or storing data, reconciling one-party consent laws with the need for evidence retention ("I would like to use glasses with a camera... always recording to a circular buffer of a few seconds to a minute").

Details

Key	Value
Target Audience	Individuals in high-stakes personal or professional disputes, those operating under one-party consent audio recording laws, general users seeking reliable conversation backup.
Core Feature	Seamless transition from volatile buffer recording (no consent needed for buffering/overwriting) to non-volatile, encrypted storage upon user activation (where consent, if required by jurisdiction, must be assumed/established). Local-only storage mandatory.
Tech Stack	High-performance embedded recording module (perhaps a specialized smart glass accessory or high-end smartphone app), dedicated secure NVMe/flash storage (for local-only compliance), ultra-low power active buffer chipset.
Difficulty	High
Monetization	Hobby

Notes

This directly addresses the request for dashcam-like functionality tailored for personal interactions ("otherwise dashcams wouldn't use a rolling buffer... the 60 seconds or so leading up to pressing that button is also often vital").
It must emphasize the local, non-cloud-synced nature to differentiate from trusted corporate platforms, aligning with the user sentiment against megacorp tracking ("I would most definitely not want it to be syncing to the cloud or some stupid shit like that").