Meta plans facial recognition feature for AI smart glasses

Five years after scrapping face recognition on Facebook over privacy concerns, Meta is weighing a limited rollout of “Name Tag” for its smart glasses, aiming to boost AI capabilities while navigating legal and ethical scrutiny.

Meta Platforms is preparing to reintroduce facial recognition technology — this time through its AI-powered smart glasses — as it seeks to strengthen its position in the growing wearable devices market.

The proposed feature, internally known as “Name Tag,” would allow users to identify individuals and retrieve basic information through the glasses’ built-in AI assistant. A potential launch could take place later this year, although the rollout plans are still under discussion.

The move marks a significant shift for Meta, which discontinued facial recognition on Facebook five years ago following legal disputes and mounting privacy concerns. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg is said to view the feature as a way to enhance the usefulness of Meta’s AI assistant and differentiate its glasses amid intensifying competition in AI-enabled wearables.

Privacy debate resurfaces

Meta is reportedly evaluating safeguards before releasing the technology, acknowledging potential safety and privacy risks. Earlier internal discussions considered limited testing scenarios before a broader launch.

Privacy advocates have voiced strong reservations. Nathan Freed Wessler of the American Civil Liberties Union warned that widespread facial recognition in public spaces could undermine personal anonymity. Lawmakers in the United States have also raised concerns about the use of such tools by law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Meta had previously explored integrating facial recognition into its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in 2021 but abandoned the idea due to technical and ethical hurdles. The revived effort comes as its smart glasses gain traction and competitors accelerate AI-driven hardware innovation.

Balancing innovation and regulation

The company has suggested that any new feature could initially be limited to recognising approved contacts or public profiles rather than offering unrestricted identification. For visually impaired users, advocates say the technology could provide meaningful assistance.

However, Meta’s past privacy settlements — including multi-billion-dollar penalties over data practices — continue to shape scrutiny around its product development. As the company pushes deeper into AI-integrated hardware, the balance between innovation and regulation is once again in focus.