Ever worried about left-wing extremists doxing you online? Well now you need to worry about it happening literally anywhere. With the advent of AI technology, technology companies are creating innovative new ways to track your real-time location, and Meta’s AI-powered glasses literally have the power to dox anybody, anywhere.
The project, titled I-XRAY, conducted by two Harvard students using Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses and PimEyes’ facial recognition software, has sparked privacy concerns about the potential misuse of wearable technology to dox strangers in real-time. Although this technology is not available to the public, the project underscores how facial recognition tools, combined with accessible online data, can quickly reveal personal information about individuals simply by looking at them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=QAglUbhcbeI
Here’s how I-XRAY works and, more importantly, how you can protect yourself from this kind of privacy invasion.
How I-XRAY Works:
- Facial Recognition: The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses equipped with a camera capture the face of a person in the frame.
- PimEyes Integration: PimEyes, a publicly accessible facial recognition engine, is then used to identify the individual by scanning the web for images and matches.
- Data Gathering: Once the person is identified, I-XRAY uses data brokers, like FastPeopleSearch, to pull additional personal information such as their full name, phone number, home address, and social media profiles. This happens automatically as soon as the glasses detect a face.
- Real-Time Information: The system, designed for demonstration purposes, shows how fast this information can be gathered and displayed on the smart glasses, raising alarms about how such technology could be misused.
The Purpose:
The students behind I-XRAY, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, do not intend to release the software or the product itself. Their goal is to highlight the privacy risks inherent in modern wearable technology and the ease with which personal information can be accessed via facial recognition tools.
How to Protect Yourself:
Even though I-XRAY is not publicly available, the existence of tools like PimEyes and data brokers means that it is crucial to take steps to protect your privacy online. Here’s what you can do:
- Opt Out of Facial Recognition Services:
- PimEyes: You can visit the PimEyes opt-out page and request the removal of your images from their database. This will prevent your face from being searchable through their engine.
- Remove Personal Information from Data Brokers:
- Data Brokers: Services like FastPeopleSearch and others aggregate your personal information from public records, social media, and online databases. Most of these services provide opt-out forms where you can request the removal of your information.
- FastPeopleSearch: Opt-out page
- Other popular brokers include Whitepages, MyLife, and Spokeo, which also have opt-out processes.
- Data Brokers: Services like FastPeopleSearch and others aggregate your personal information from public records, social media, and online databases. Most of these services provide opt-out forms where you can request the removal of your information.
- Strengthen Privacy on Social Media:
- Review your social media privacy settings and limit the visibility of your profile to trusted friends and connections only. Avoid sharing personal details, such as your home address or phone number, publicly online.
- Use a VPN and Privacy Tools:
- Protect your online identity by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and privacy-focused browsers or search engines that limit tracking. This can make it more difficult for data brokers and facial recognition tools to track your activity and gather personal information.
- Be Cautious of Public Cameras:
- While there’s no immediate product that can dox strangers like I-XRAY, staying aware of the potential privacy risks of public cameras and wearable tech like smart glasses can help you avoid situations where your image might be captured.
The I-XRAY project demonstrates how easily existing technologies could be repurposed for privacy-invading uses, such as doxing strangers in public. Although such a system is not yet available to the public, it highlights the need for greater awareness of facial recognition technology and the vast amounts of personal information available online. By opting out of facial recognition databases and removing your details from data brokers, you can take proactive steps to protect your personal information in an increasingly connected world.
