Meta Deletes Face-Recognition System from Smart Glasses App After Wired Report
9 hours ago
- #Privacy
- #Meta
- #Face Recognition
- Meta removed an unreleased face-recognition system called NameTag from its Meta AI app after WIRED revealed it was embedded in the app installed on over 50 million phones.
- The NameTag system was designed to convert faces captured by Meta's smart glasses into biometric signatures and compare them against a local database, with unrecognized faces stored for future processing.
- Meta executives dismissed WIRED's report as misleading and claimed the feature did not exist, despite code evidence, and the company declined to answer questions about data retention and privacy concerns.
- Privacy advocates warned the system could enable stalking and abuse, and criticized Meta's tactics, calling for stronger legal protections and enforcement of consumer privacy laws.
- The updated Meta AI app removed most NameTag code, but some fragments remain, and the removal is seen as evidence of the need for more robust privacy regulations with private rights of action.