Code for 'NameTag' Facial Recognition Found Hidden in Meta's AI App — Could Come to Ray-Ban Smart Glasses

Wired has discovered code for an unreleased facial recognition feature called "NameTag" buried inside Meta's AI app, raising fresh privacy concerns about what Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses could soon be capable of.

How NameTag Works

• Face capture: The feature uses the smart glasses' camera to capture faces of people the wearer encounters
• Biometric conversion: Captured faces are converted into biometric signatures and stored on the user's device
• Recognition alerts: When the glasses spot a previously captured face, the wearer receives a notification identifying the person
• On-device matching: The code suggests face databases are compared locally on the user's phone

Privacy Concerns

The discovery is significant because Meta previously shut down facial recognition on Facebook in 2021 following years of backlash and lawsuits. Building the same capability into always-on smart glasses worn in public raises far more serious privacy implications. An internal document reportedly reveals Meta planned to launch the feature during a period when privacy groups would be focused on other concerns.

This follows earlier controversies including a Senate hearing on Meta smart glasses privacy and demands from 75+ rights groups to cancel facial recognition features.

What This Means for Buyers

Meta says NameTag is not currently active or announced. But its existence in the codebase signals where Meta is headed — and may push privacy-conscious buyers toward alternatives like the Brilliant Labs Halo ($349), which processes all AI on-device with no cloud dependency. If you own Ray-Ban Meta glasses and value privacy, monitor this story closely. Browse all options in our smart glasses guide.