Warning: *Privacy Not Included with this product
Snap Spectacles 4.0
Someday smart glass might become a thing. Today doesn't quite feel like that day. These augmented reality Spectacles from Snap, you know, the company that makes Snapchat, say they will help you "create the world you want to see." We think that means they are chock-full of things like dual 3D waveguide displays that provide up to 2000 Nits of brightness. (What is a nit of brightness you ask? We did too. Apparently it's how display manufacturers measure how much brightness is emitted from a display. Good to know.) These specs also come with a touchpad, two cameras, and four microphones. All that to bring Snap's world of augmented reality to life. We don't know about all that, but hey, who doesn't want to create the world you want to see? I want to see a world with more chocolate.
What could happen if something goes wrong?
Snap, the company behind Snapchat and these weird spectacles, doesn’t have a great track record of respecting their user’s privacy. In 2019, Motherboard reported that Snap had an internal tool that allowed employees to access users’ personal information, including phone number, email, and location. The report claimed the tool, called SnapLion, was abused for “illegitimate reasons to spy on users.” That’s strike one.
We also found when we tried to contact Snap through the contact link provided in their privacy policy it was nearly impossible to do so. That’s strike two.
Finally, it seems Snap does collect and share a fair amount of users’ information for advertising and targeting purposes. That’s strike three.
What’s the worst that could happen with these AR camera- and microphone-laden spectacles? Well, we suppose you could unknowingly record video of the crowd you’re dancing with at that private party you scored an invite to. You upload that video to the internet, in that crowd is someone in witness protection, they are identifiable in the video and the bad guys who they were hiding from find them and kill them. OK, maybe we’ve watched too many crime dramas. But hey, it could happen, because it’s hard to tell when you’re being recorded by someone wearing smart glasses with a built-in camera.
Tips to protect yourself
- Turn on Login Verification
- Set up two-factor authentification
- Don’t use unauthorized third-party apps
Can it snoop on me?
Camera
Device: Yes
App: Yes
Microphone
Device: Yes
App: Yes
Tracks location
Device: Yes
App: Yes
What can be used to sign up?
Yes
Phone
Yes
Third-party account
No
What data does the company collect?
Personal
Name, birthday, email, phone number, location, photos and camera information
Body related
Social
Phonebook (with permission)
How does the company use this data?
How can you control your data?
What is the company’s known track record of protecting users’ data?
In May 2019, it was reported that Snap's employees have a special tool called SnapLion that can give them access to your location, phone numbers, email addresses, even your saved Snaps — and that some employees have actually abused it to spy on users.
Can this product be used offline?
User-friendly privacy information?
Complicated language
Links to privacy information
Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?
Encryption
Snapchat uses some encryption. They reportedly only encrypt Snaps. It's not clear if they fully encrypt text messages or group chats.
Strong password
Security updates
Manages vulnerabilities
Snap runs a bug bounty program.
Privacy policy
Does the product use AI?
Is this AI untrustworthy?
What kind of decisions does the AI make about you or for you?
Is the company transparent about how the AI works?
Does the user have control over the AI features?
Dive Deeper
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Snapchat Employees Abused Data Access to Spy on UsersVice
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Snapchat Launches New Augmented Reality Smart Glasses With Voice Commands for Lens CreatorsVoicebot.ai
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Listen: Next in Tech | Episode 38: Datacenter and Infrastructure Markets in ChinaS&P Global
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