Meta may implement facial recognition using a camera in glasses

Privacy question with Ray‑Ban Meta ✴ is back in the spotlight

The new scandal around Ray‑Ban Meta ✴ smart glasses involves the discovery of code in their app that has not yet been officially announced. According to Wired and Android Authority, the app contains a face recognition system called NameTag.

What exactly was found?
- Three AI models:

1. Face recognition.
2. Image size correction.
3. Conversion of data into local templates matched with benchmarks stored on the user’s phone.

- Code history:

The code appeared in January and had already been downloaded over 50 million times for Ray‑Ban and Oakley glasses. When activated, the system is supposed to inform the owner about who is in front of the camera. In the app version released in May, this feature is called Connections.

- Hidden recording:

Independent modders reported that they physically disable the recording LED to hide the filming process.

Meta ✴’s reaction
Ryan Daniels, a company representative, responded to Wired’s article by saying that the found code fragments are “only evidence” that the company was exploring such capabilities. He emphasized that “nothing was sent to consumers and no final decision has been made.” Meta ✴ added that if the feature ever appears in a product, it will be implemented with full transparency and without building a face database.

What’s next?
Android Authority notes that even without an official decision, the technology could be useful: recognizing familiar people through glasses could become a convenient tool. However, the privacy question remains open until Meta ✴ announces specific steps to implement or abandon the NameTag system.