Meta Platforms Inc. is preparing to add facial recognition capabilities to its popular Ray-Ban smart glasses, according to an internal memo dated last year. The move represents a significant expansion of the company's facial recognition efforts and has raised immediate privacy concerns among advocates.
The internal document, reportedly written by Meta executives, indicated that the company believed the political turmoil in the United States would serve as a distraction from critics who might otherwise oppose the feature's release. This strategic timing suggestion has drawn scrutiny from privacy organizations and lawmakers.
Facial recognition technology in consumer wearables has been a controversial topic, with concerns ranging from unauthorized surveillance to potential misuse of personal biometric data. Meta's smart glasses, developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, already feature camera and audio capabilities that have faced their own privacy questions.
Privacy advocates have expressed concern that the addition of real-time facial recognition could turn everyday social interactions into potential surveillance scenarios. Critics argue that such technology could be used to identify strangers without their consent, potentially enabling stalking or harassment.
This isn't Meta's first venture into facial recognition. The company previously rolled out automatic tagging suggestions on Facebook using facial recognition technology, which it later disabled amid mounting privacy concerns and regulatory pressure in multiple jurisdictions.
Meta has not yet officially announced a timeline for when the facial recognition feature might become available to consumers.