Meta preparing to add facial recognition to its smart glasses

Meta is reportedly planning to integrate facial recognition technology into its smart glasses as early as this year. According to The New York Times (£), the feature, internally titled Name Tag, would enable wearers to identify individuals and retrieve information via an AI assistant. 

While Meta initially considered this technology for its 2021 Ray-Ban glasses, it was shelved due to ethical and technical concerns.

However, internal documents suggest the company has revived the project following the unexpected commercial success of its smart glasses and a shifting political landscape. A leaked memo indicates that, despite the privacy and safety risks, Meta views the current political environment as an opportune time for release, suggesting that civil society groups might be too distracted by other issues to challenge the move. 

In a related article, IAPP Research and Insights Analyst Brandon LaLonde considers future use cases for augmented reality glasses in professional settings and as a health or accessibility aid. Lalonde also discusses the privacy risks and traces the history of the device category.  

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