Meta Removes Face-Recognition Code From Smart Glasses App After WIRED Investigation
Tags AI · Consumer · Privacy
Meta has removed face-recognition code from the Meta AI companion app for its smart glasses following a WIRED investigation that identified the capability. Meta has not explained why the code was present or whether it will be reintroduced. The removal comes amid heightened scrutiny of facial recognition technology from regulators and privacy advocates, particularly following recent social media trials against Meta and Google. The smart glasses, which already contain cameras, would have significantly expanded the potential for passive facial recognition in everyday settings if the feature had been activated.
Technical significance
The presence of dormant face-recognition code in Meta's smart glasses app reveals the tension between building AI capabilities that require camera input and the regulatory/privacy risks of facial recognition. For the wearable AI industry, this sets a precedent: even undemonstrated capabilities in shipped code can trigger investigative journalism and regulatory attention. The incident may push other hardware companies with camera-equipped AI devices to proactively audit and disclose similar capabilities.