Five years after turning off facial recognition on Facebook over privacy concerns, Meta is preparing to bring the technology back – this time through its smart glasses. The company is reportedly developing a feature internally called “Name Tag,” which would allow wearers of its Ray-Ban Meta glasses to identify people in real time using facial recognition and using its built-in AI system.
Meta had already discontinued facial recognition for photo tagging in 2021, citing the need to find the “right balance” between innovation and data protection. Now that its ambitions in wearables are growing, the company seems ready to reconsider the technology. The proposed feature would not function as a universal face search engine, but would reportedly detect people who are connected to users via metaplatforms or have public profiles.
The move signals a broader shift in the way Meta sees AI-powered wearables shaping the future of computing
The company’s smart glasses, developed in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica, were a surprising commercial success, selling millions of units last year. Adding facial recognition could differentiate Meta’s hardware as competition increases from companies like OpenAI that are developing their own AI-first devices.
However, the plan has serious implications for privacy and civil liberties. Facial recognition has long been criticized by advocacy groups concerned about surveillance, abuse and the erosion of public anonymity. Some U.S. cities have restricted law enforcement’s use of the technology, while lawmakers have raised alarms about its use in public spaces. Critics argue that embedding such capabilities into wearable consumer devices could normalize constant identification in everyday life.
Meta has reportedly discussed how and when to release the feature
The company has acknowledged internal concerns about “security and privacy risks.” The company is also exploring advanced versions of its glasses – called “super sensing” internally – that could continuously operate cameras and sensors. In such scenarios, facial recognition would help the AI assistant provide contextual memories or information based on who the wearer encounters.
For consumers, the technology could provide convenience, particularly for accessibility use cases such as helping blind or visually impaired people identify people nearby. But it also raises questions about consent and transparency. Meta’s current glasses have a visible LED light to signal recording, and there is ongoing discussion about how to signal when facial recognition features are active.
What comes next will likely depend on regulatory scrutiny and public reaction. Meta remains bound by previous data protection agreements with regulators, although internal reports indicate that some review processes have recently been streamlined. As AI wearables become more mainstream, Meta’s approach to facial recognition could become a defining moment in the balance between innovation and privacy.
