Apple’s next data grab may not live on your wrist. It may sit inside your ear.
A newly published patent (US20230225659A1) describes earbuds that use EEG electrodes in and around the ear to detect electrical brain activity, with “dynamic selection of electrodes” to capture signals continuously and adaptively. It can also measure related biosignals like eye movements, muscle activity, and heart rate, effectively turning everyday earbuds into a portable neural and biometric scanner.
That is a major shift in what “wearables” collect. We are no longer talking about steps and sleep. We are talking about neural data, signals that can reveal attention, stress states, fatigue, and potentially far more, depending on how the system is trained and productized.
And there is an obvious business tailwind. With Apple’s services division generating more than $85 billion a year, the incentive to create new, data-intensive features and recurring revenue streams is massive, especially if the next frontier is the most personal dataset of all: your brain.
Technical Capabilities and Privacy Implications
The disclosed technology enables continuous, passive monitoring of neural activity through everyday audio devices. According to the patent documentation, the system can capture EEG signals alongside electromyography (EMG) for muscle movements and electrooculography (EOG) for eye tracking. T
his combination allows for comprehensive monitoring of both cognitive and physical responses.
Privacy advocates point to the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal as precedent for how personal data can be weaponized at scale. The current regulatory framework for medical devices, primarily governed by FDA classifications, contains gaps for consumer wellness products that are not explicitly marketed as medical devices. No specific FDA guidance exists for in-ear EEG consumer technology as of 2025.
Institutional Responses and Unanswered Questions
Mainstream technology publications have largely framed the patent as a health innovation, emphasizing. Potential applications mentioned include health monitoring, such as detecting seizures, tracking sleep patterns, or assessing stress levels.
Mainstream tech reports often frame this as a promising wellness innovation, building on Apple's existing health features in devices like the Apple Watch and AirPods Pro.
Image: Google Patents - Reference patent image
Privacy Concerns in an Era of Data Monetization
Yet the implications extend far beyond health. Apple's services generate tens of billions annually, much of it from data-driven personalization and advertising ecosystems. Continuous, passive neural monitoring through everyday earbuds could create unprecedented datasets about cognitive states, attention, emotions, and responses — data that might inform everything from targeted content to behavioral prediction.
Privacy advocates draw parallels to past scandals, such as the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica case, where seemingly innocuous data was weaponized at scale. Unlike medical-grade EEG devices, consumer wearables often fall into regulatory gray areas.
As of late 2025, the FDA has issued no specific guidance for in-ear EEG in non-medical products, leaving gaps in oversight for how such data is collected, stored, or shared.
Apple has long emphasized privacy with slogans like “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone.” However, the patent describes potential data transmission to connected devices or servers, with storage of historical biosignals — details about retention policies, sharing, or user controls remain undisclosed.
Broader Context and Unanswered Questions
DARPA’S research into high-resolution brain-machine interfaces for military.
Government interest in non-invasive neural interfaces adds another layer. DARPA's Next-Generation Nonsurgical Neurotechnology (N3) program, active since 2018, has funded research into high-resolution brain-machine interfaces for military applications, though no public evidence directly links it to Apple's work.
Key details about Apple's plans stay hidden:
Intended consumer use cases beyond the patent's broad language
Data retention and third-party sharing policies for neural signals
Any FDA regulatory discussions or classifications
Patents represent possibilities, not products. Apple files thousands yearly, and this one dates back to early 2023. No consumer earbuds with EEG capabilities have been released or announced as of January 2026.
Still, the filing reflects a growing trend: the convergence of consumer audio devices with advanced biometrics. As wearables become more intimate, the line between helpful innovation and invasive surveillance blurs.
The future of neural data depends on transparency, robust regulation, and user choice. Without them, everyday earbuds could quietly become windows into thoughts we never intended to share.
