According to a report from the technology publication Wired on June 4, Meta has added facial recognition system code to its AI app, which connects with Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses, through several updates this year. The app, essential for utilizing the smart glasses' main features, has surpassed 50 million downloads.
Wired identified the internal name of the feature as 'NameTag.' It works by recognizing a person's face captured by the smart glasses' camera and sending a notification to the wearer if the face matches a contact stored on their phone.
The publication reported that three AI models for finding, cropping, and converting faces into biometric data have already been distributed from Meta's servers to users' phones. External security researchers have also replicated the app's analysis results.
The main issue at stake is notification and consent. While Meta stated in April that it would approach the introduction of facial recognition features cautiously, Wired pointed out that key components have been included in the app since at least January.
Meta maintains that the feature has not yet been released and that no final decision has been made. A spokesperson told Wired, "We are exploring facial recognition-related features, and if we do implement them, we will do so transparently." They also emphasized that they are not creating a centralized facial database.
Privacy organizations are pushing back. Over 70 groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), have previously demanded that Meta abandon the facial recognition feature for smart glasses. They argue that allowing smart glasses users to identify others in public without consent could increase risks of stalking, harassment, and surveillance.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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