Privacy groups urge Meta to scrap facial recognition in glasses
What's the story
More than 70 civil liberties, domestic violence, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+, labor and immigrant advocacy groups have urged Meta to ditch plans of introducing facial recognition on its Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses. The feature, internally dubbed "Name Tag," could give stalkers, abusers and federal agents the power to identify strangers in public without their knowledge.
Advocacy response
Facial recognition can't be resolved through product design changes
The coalition, which includes organizations like ACLU, Electronic Privacy Information Center and Fight for the Future, has called for Meta to scrap the feature before its launch. This comes after internal documents revealed the company planned to use the current "dynamic political environment" as cover for its rollout. The groups argue that facial recognition in inconspicuous consumer eyewear can't be resolved through product design changes or opt-out mechanisms.
Feature details
How the 'Name Tag' feature would work
The "Name Tag" feature would work via the AI assistant in Meta's smart glasses, letting users access information about people they see. There are two versions of this tech: one that identifies only those already connected to a Meta platform and another broader version that can identify anyone with a public account on any Meta service like Instagram.
Disclosure demand
Coalition demands disclosure of known stalking, harassment cases
The coalition has also asked Meta to disclose any known cases of its wearables being used in stalking, harassment or domestic violence. They want the company to reveal any past or ongoing discussions with federal law enforcement agencies about the use of Meta wearables or data from them. The groups argue that people should be able to go about their daily lives without fear of being identified by stalkers, scammers and abusers.
Company statement
In response, Meta said it doesn't offer such a product
In response to the backlash, a Meta spokesperson said, "Our competitors offer this type of facial recognition product; we do not." They added that if such a feature were ever released, it would be done with careful consideration. The coalition has criticized Meta for its strategic approach, calling it "vile behavior." They accused the company of exploiting "rising authoritarianism" and the Trump administration's "disregard for the rule of law."
Legal history
Meta previously faced backlash over facial recognition
This isn't the first time Meta has faced backlash over facial recognition. In November 2021, the company shut down Facebook's photo-tagging system and announced plans to delete face recognition templates of more than a billion users. The decision followed years of costly litigation, including roughly $2 billion paid to settle biometric privacy lawsuits in Illinois and Texas for capturing users' faceprints without consent.