Meta Embedded Facial Recognition Code in Smart Glasses App

Security researchers and journalists from Wired discovered dormant facial recognition code, internally called NameTag or Connections, embedded in the companion app for Ray-Ban and Oakley Meta smart glasses. The code, which appears to have been installed via updates starting in January 2026, includes three AI models designed to detect faces, align them, and generate biometric fingerprints stored locally on users' phones. If activated, the feature would trigger Person recognized notifications when the wearer encounters known individuals.

Meta Platforms Inc. spokesperson Ryan Daniels stated that the code reflects early-stage experimentation and that no final decision has been made to launch the feature. He clarified that the company is not building a central face database and that nothing has shipped to consumers. However, the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Threat Lab verified the code through static analysis, warning that the technology could turn users into a distributed surveillance machine.

The discovery follows a history of biometric privacy legal battles for the company, including settlements totaling over $2 billion in Illinois and Texas and a $650 million settlement over past Facebook practices. In April 2026, a coalition of over 70 organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, demanded that the company halt the project, citing threats to civil liberties for marginalized groups.