US EditionYour Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Don’t Have Facial Recognition yet, and over 70 Privacy Advocacy Organizations Want It to Stay that Way
The coalition says the feature would let wearers identify strangers without consent and cannot be fixed with opt-outs or design changes.
- On Monday, a coalition of more than 70 organizations including the ACLU and Fight for the Future sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding the company "immediately halt and publicly disavow" plans for facial recognition in smart glasses, internally known as "Name Tag."
- Advocacy groups warn that the technology would empower stalkers, abusers, and federal agents to silently identify strangers in public, citing concerns that "people should be able to move through their daily lives without fear" of invisible verification and tracking.
- Leaked internal documents from Meta's Reality Labs reveal the company planned to launch during a "dynamic political environment" where civil society groups would have resources "focused on other concerns," suggesting strategic timing to avoid opposition.
- In a statement, Meta claimed competitors offer similar facial recognition products and said it would take a "very thoughtful approach" before rolling out any feature, though the company stopped short of promising a permanent ban.
- Meta's history of biometric litigation strengthens the coalition's case: the company paid $5 billion to settle facial recognition-related privacy lawsuits and canceled Facebook's phototagging feature in 2021 after public pressure, establishing precedent for abandoning contested biometric tools.
15 Articles
15 Articles
ACLU warns Meta against facial recognition in smart glasses
Meta is reportedly planning to integrate facial recognition tech into its smart glasses, but not everyone is content to idly sit by and let it happen.Per Wired, a cavalcade of more than 70 organizations such as the ACLU and Fight for the Future have signed a letter urging Meta to "immediately halt and publicly disavow" its plans to bring facial recognition tech to its growing lineup of smart glasses. In March, a separate group of organizations w…
Huge Group of Experts Warns Meta That Its Pervert Glasses Will Enable Terrible Crimes
Last month, a joint investigation by two Swedish newspapers found that contractors in Kenya were watching personal videos recorded by users of Meta’s Ray Ban AI glasses. The devices, which can easily be used to film others in public without their knowledge or consent, have been facing a growing backlash online, with netizens calling them out for being “pervert glasses.” Now, Meta’s plans to add facial recognition tech to its hardware, as part of…
Meta warned by dozens of organizations that facial recognition on its smart glasses would empower predators
Over 70 civil rights organizations have banded together to warn Meta about bringing facial recognition technology to its smart glasses. The groups say this would empower bad faith actors.
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