Meta has reportedly incorporated facial recognition infrastructure into its smart glasses ecosystem despite previously stating that the technology was still under evaluation. WIRED discovered that the AI companion app for the glasses has supported a system called ‘NameTag’ since early 2026. The findings have raised questions about the extent of the company's development efforts related to facial recognition.
According to the report, “the feature is not currently available to users. However, researchers who examined the app's code found that major components required for facial recognition are already in place. The system is designed to identify people captured by the glasses’ camera, generate biometric profiles, and notify wearers when a recognized individual is detected.”
The investigation shows that these features came through updates to the Meta AI app, used by millions. Despite remaining turned off, researchers say the tech works well for the most part.
This has raised concerns as Meta previously stated it was still evaluating how facial recognition technology might be used in future products.
Earlier this year, reports surfaced about a feature called ‘NameTag.’ Still, Meta stressed that anything they roll out will be done thoughtfully and openly. The recent findings hint that the company started building and spreading this tech while these talks were happening.
Privacy groups have been sounding the alarm about putting facial recognition in wearables for a while now. Over seventy civil society and privacy groups have actually asked Meta to ditch the idea, saying it could make unwanted ID, surveillance, harassment, and stalking way too easy in public areas.
Regulators are keeping a close eye on this tech. There's worry about gathering biometric info via unobtrusive cameras in glasses and how it might make public places less anonymous. While Meta hasn't rolled out facial recognition in their smart glasses yet, they're adamant it's not an option right now. Still, finding those dormant NameTag bits suggests they might use them later if they think it’s a go.
As these glasses become more widely adopted, the argument over how far is too far when it comes to balancing tech convenience and privacy isn’t going away anytime soon.
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