What nearby-device detection can say
Some smart glasses broadcast Bluetooth signals that can be observed by a nearby phone. A local scan can therefore indicate that a compatible device may be present in range, depending on the device and the conditions.
That can give someone useful context. It is deliberately limited context. A Bluetooth signal cannot prove that a camera is recording, tell you who is wearing the device, or guarantee that every pair of smart glasses will be detectable.
The limits are the feature
It would be easy to turn a nearby-device tool into a system for tracking people. That would repeat the privacy problem in another form. Responsible awareness keeps the signal local, minimises what is retained, and avoids tying a device observation to a person's identity.
These limits are not a flaw in the concept. They are part of its purpose. The aim is to offer a bystander a little more situational information, not to create a record of who was nearby.
Privacy-by-design means restraint
NearLens is built around that restraint: on-device awareness rather than cloud-based monitoring, and no claim that Bluetooth can reveal more than it can. It is intended to support a question, not deliver a verdict.
A better future for smart-glasses awareness avoids counter-surveillance. It relies on tools and norms that let people notice a change in their surroundings while protecting everyone involved from unnecessary collection.