Meta is exploring the potential addition of facial recognition technology to its smart glasses as soon as this year, as per a recent report from The New York Times. The feature, known internally as “Name Tag”, would enable users to recognize individuals within their line of sight and access relevant information about them via Meta’s AI assistant. However, the report highlights that the company’s plans are subject to change, with executives deliberating since early last year on how to implement a tool that poses notable safety and privacy concerns.
An internal memo referenced in the report reveals that Meta initially intended to pilot the feature with attendees at a conference for the visually impaired before a wider rollout, but ultimately decided against this course of action. The memo also indicated that company officials believed the current political climate in the United States could potentially lessen scrutiny from civil society organizations that might otherwise oppose the technology.
In 2021, Meta had explored integrating facial recognition technology into the first iteration of its Ray-Ban smart glasses but abandoned the initiative due to technical challenges and ethical considerations. The company’s renewed interest in this technology coincides with its recent success in the smart glasses market and shifting dynamics in the relationship between major tech companies and the US government.
A prior report by The Information suggested that Meta’s upcoming AI glasses could feature an always-on “super-sensing” mode, utilizing built-in cameras to track users’ daily behaviors and identify individuals by name. Furthermore, Meta has updated its privacy policy, clarifying that the camera functionality of Meta AI remains active by default on the glasses unless users opt-out of the “Hey Meta” voice command capability.