The code could let the glasses identify people in real time, and researchers say three AI models are already on users’ phones.
On Friday, Meta quietly embedded face-recognition code, internally called "NameTag," into its Meta AI app installed on more than 50 million phones used for smart glasses.
Meta previously retired facial recognition on Facebook in 2021 following years of privacy controversy, including a $650 million settlement for unlawful biometric data collection from Illinois users.
Security researcher Cooper Quintin confirmed the app includes three AI models capable of detecting, cropping, and encoding faces into biometric signatures, though the feature remains inactive for consumers.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Fight for the Future urged Meta to "immediately halt and publicly disavow" any plans to add facial recognition to its smart glasses.
Meta spokesperson Ryan Daniels stated the company is not building a central face database, describing the code as "evidence of that exploration" while promising a "very thoughtful approach.
The Meta AI app code revealed a feature called NameTag that can recognize the faces of people caught in the lens of Meta's smart glasses. This is reported by Wired, whose journalists have studied the software.