Wired · Meta · New York · Facebook · Engadget
Wired flagged code for an unreleased facial recognition capability in Meta's AI app
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Meta was previously reported to be exploring facial recognition for its smart glasses.
Key facts
- Update, June 4, 5:04PM ET: Added a statement from Meta on Wired 's report
- Anonymous Meta sources who spoke to The New York Times similarly referred to the company's facial recognition tool as "Name Tag
- Meta previously used facial recognition in Facebook as part of the platform's photo tagging features, but retired the technology in 2021 over privacy concerns
- The company introduced facial recognition to Instagram and Facebook again in 2024, this time framed as a safety tool for detecting faces used in scam ads
Summary
Code for a facial recognition feature that can run on Meta smart glasses is buried in the company's Meta AI app, according to a new report from Wired. The feature, called "NameTag" in the code Wired found, is reportedly capable of capturing people's faces using the company's smart glasses and later notifying the wearer when it recognizes a previously captured face. Anonymous Meta sources who spoke to The New York Times similarly referred to the company's facial recognition tool as "Name Tag. " While there are potential accessibility benefits to a pair of smart glasses that can identify faces for users with visual impairments, the feature poses serious ethical concerns, too. "Regardless of any sensational reporting, the facts are simple: we've said before we're exploring these types of features, and what you're seeing is evidence of that exploration," Meta's Ryan Daniels said .