Meta Smart Glasses Spark Privacy Concerns Over Hidden Facial Recognition Code

Meta is facing fresh privacy scrutiny after researchers discovered facial recognition features buried inside its smart glasses system that could identify people you look at in real time.

The feature, reportedly found in Meta’s AI companion app used with Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses, is designed to scan faces and match them against stored biometric “faceprints.” Each face is converted into a numerical profile and compared against a user’s database.

Security researchers say the tool – internally linked to a feature dubbed “NameTag”- has not yet been activated for public use, but its presence in the code suggests it could be switched on in the future.

Meta has confirmed the feature exists in development but says no final decision has been made on whether it will ever be launched. The company also insists it is not building a central facial recognition database.

Privacy experts, however, are raising concerns about potential misuse, warning that the technology could raise serious questions around consent, surveillance, and personal safety if enabled.

The discovery , as reported by The Independent, adds to growing global debate over wearable AI devices and how far tech companies should go in blending real-world interaction with biometric tracking.