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Comment by db48x | Hacker News Reader

Not meaningfully. Anyone holding a smartphone might be recording you. You’d better avoid them if you don’t want to be recorded.

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Most people don't run around holding out their smartphone directly in front of them. It has to be pointed at the subject, and tends to be obvious.

Smart glasses, however, are always aimed at whatever the wearer is looking at. They may or may not be recording (note the reports of people hiding the LED indicators), and at a fair distance could easily be mistaken for a normal pair.

The general populace is much more likely to notice the former recording rather than the latter.

I've seen people keep their phone in their shirt pocket. The only reason it tends to be obvious is that most people aren't trying to be covert. Those aren't the ones you should be worried about.

Don’t forget that audio recording is a thing. The camera doesn’t have to be pointed at you to violate your privacy. Plus I bet you walk past 90% (or more) of all cameras without ever noticing them. You only notice someone’s glasses because they are novel, not because they are more likely to record you.

This line makes a valid point. People record strangers all the time. In an obvious way or trying to be sneaky.

Just because you don’t notice it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

However, this is still a different thing than smart glasses which can further be segmented into who designed the smart glasses.

Someone has to hold smartphone and point it at you.

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