AI-powered wearables will force our privacy norms to change

Opinion by: Evin McMullen, co-founder and CEO of Billions Network and co-founder of Privado ID

Population monitoring has evolved over the years. First, it was from other people; later, it was data harvesting. In 2025, wearable technology is the new frontier for broader public surveillance. 

This isn’t necessarily some dystopia, nor is it comfortable — it is a new paradigm in how we engage with each other and our data. While it’s inevitable that people will need to redefine their expectations around privacy as we enter this new era of surveillance, now is the time to seize the opportunity to shape this new normal before technology sidelines us from active participants to passive subjects. 

The way to do this is through cryptography.

Surveillance through the ages

For most of human history, surveillance and intelligence operations were limited to what the eye could see. This meant that police officers and detectives were the primary sources of public data, and the population accepted this as necessary for the state to keep them safe. 

As surveillance methods advanced with technology, such as satellite imagery and internet monitoring, so did society’s discomfort. CCTV initially sparked outrage among civil liberties groups over creating a so-called “Big Brother” society. Over time, however, the population grew to understand that these powers exist so that malevolent actors can be weeded out. 

Today, we stand at the threshold of a new era of surveillance, driven by wearables, decentralized networking and, of course, AI’s pervasive and alluring influence. This “infinite panopticon” era will be defined by technology’s pervasiveness and a broader acceptance of surveillance.

Remember Google Glass? The wearable computer from Google in 2013 is now a museum piece, but it normalized the idea of technology being an extension of the self. 

Consider Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, which allow users to make calls, send texts, control features and more. Apple is joining in the fun with its own smart glasses due in 2026, which will offer “multimodal AI,” integration with Siri and the ability to “analyze” the wearer’s environment.

It’s the same offer Big Tech has been making for decades: We’ll give you the future in return for more intimate data. 

The difference with wearables? They’re not monetizing your searches, but your conversational tone, your emotions… all the private little things that make us who we are. 

Still, as has happened with CCTV and social media tracking, most people will likely accept that this is the next phase of how services work. This is not to say that there won’t be debates, but the benefits will open up so many doors that these practices will broadly be accepted. 

Fortunately, there’s technology in place that can minimize the invasiveness while maximizing the benefits. 

Increasingly perfect technology

This technological monitoring explosion has led to many legal and ethical debates about individuals’ right to privacy in the digital age. There have been developments like Edward Snowden’s revelations about the US National Security Agency spying on ordinary American citizens or the Cambridge Analytica scandal, reminding all citizens about their data’s value. Despite these revelations and debates, most users will still accept digital monitoring for its benefits. 

This represents a growing demand for a new model of how we engage with our privacy. Users can become active participants in their sovereignty, having a say in what data they allow to be collected and, ultimately, what is done with it. The paradigm is shifting, putting humans in control of their digital footprint for the first time. 

What is making this paradigm shift acceptable is a form of cryptography — zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs. ZK-proofs mean that data can be analyzed and confirmed as valid without revealing what that data is. This is the key to making broader data collection fair and safe for the wider public. Just because an automated system authenticates a user’s age, address or other information doesn’t mean that any human ever needs to see it. 

This stands to reshape the way the population views privacy moving forward. Nobody advocates for the destruction of personal obfuscation, but between cryptography and permissioned access, users would still have a wall between their data and most of the world. 

The reality is that the benefits of the latest technologies are only possible with data capture. For users who want these benefits, a certain degree of invasive monitoring is inevitable. Now, the infrastructure and devices used for surveillance will shape the norms of everyday life.

Fortunately, cryptography offers a path where everyone can benefit from a world where intelligent surveillance is part of the societal everyday experience. Still, it will require a new way of looking at our privacy. 

Opinion by: Evin McMullen, co-founder and CEO of Billions Network and co-founder of Privado ID.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.