Wired found code for an unreleased facial recognition feature in Meta's AI app

Source: Engadget

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Background

A new report from Wired reveals that code for a facial‑recognition feature is embedded in Meta’s Meta AI app. While the feature is not currently enabled or available to customers, its presence adds to earlier indications that Meta is exploring how facial recognition could work with its smart glasses, as first reported by The New York Times in February.

The “NameTag” Feature

• The code refers to the feature as “NameTag.”
• It is designed to capture faces through the smart glasses and later notify the wearer when a previously captured face is recognized.
• According to a security researcher who examined the code (Buchodi), no part of NameTag is currently running or transmitting biometric data to Meta’s servers.
• Earlier versions of the Meta AI app included UI elements—such as a “Connections” menu—that hinted at the feature, encouraging users to “remember the people you met.”

Anonymous Meta sources quoted by The New York Times also referred to the tool as “Name Tag.” A memo reviewed during reporting suggested Meta considered launching the feature during a “dynamic political environment” in the U.S., hoping that civil‑society groups would be preoccupied with other concerns.

Potential Benefits and Concerns

• Accessibility: Smart glasses that can identify faces could aid users with visual impairments.
• Ethical Issues: The capability raises significant privacy and ethical questions, especially regarding biometric data collection and usage.

Meta’s History with Facial Recognition

• Meta previously employed facial recognition on Facebook for photo tagging but retired the technology in 2021 due to privacy concerns (Engadget).
• In 2024, the company re‑introduced facial recognition on Instagram and Facebook as a safety tool to detect faces used in scam ads (Engadget).

Outlook

Beyond the existence of the code and Meta’s longstanding interest in facial recognition (BuzzFeed News), there is no concrete evidence that NameTag will appear in future Ray‑Ban or Oakley smart glasses. The recurring discovery of related code, however, suggests the idea remains under consideration.

Engadget has reached out to Meta for comment on the code and any potential shift in the company’s stance on facial recognition in its smart glasses. Updates will be added if a response is received.