Google has developed software that will alert smartphone owners when someone is looking over their shoulder at their phone. Known as an "e-screen protector," the feature utilizes a device's front-facing camera (along with some AI) to detect when someone is trying to sneak a peek.

While the feature is aimed at protecting a user's privacy while out in public, I wonder how parents will feel when monitoring their children? You can see how the feature works in the demo video below.

It's actually quite impressive how well the feature works. In the first scenario, a woman is using her Pixel XL when a man creeps up behind her. The feature quickly indicates that he's surreptitiously looking at the device, allowing the woman to react.

In a report by Quartz, the system is said to work in just two millisecondsā€”and it doesn't matter the lighting conditions. For people who live in busy cities, knowing when someone is eavesdropping on your phone's display is a big deal.

It's unclear if Google will ever implement a security feature like this to Android, but it appears the research into developing the so-called "e-screen protector" is going quite well.

The next time you're standing in line, you may know when the person behind you is being nosy.