Meta reportedly removed facial-recognition code from its smart glasses app

Wired found code in Meta's AI smart glasses app that suggested the company had embedded a facial recognition system called 'NameTag.' It was reported that, once activated, the system could identify faces captured by the glasses' lens and alert the user when it recognised someone.

Since Wired published its original story, the code in question has been removed from the Meta AI app. Wired highlighted that the code had been quietly pushed out to an app downloaded millions of times, a development many found troubling. The report linked this episode to other privacy concerns, noting that Niantic Spatial may be using images captured by Pokemon Go players to build a highly-accurate geospatial model for use by delivery robots and potentially defense applications.

Other reporting pointed out that Meta's AI smart glasses footage is reviewed by human contractors and that it can be all too easy to accidentally record yourself or others.

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