Meta is considering adding facial recognition technology to its smart glasses as early as this year, according to a report by The New York Times. The feature, internally referred to as Name Tag, would allow wearers to identify people they see and receive contextual information through Meta’s AI assistant.
The report said Meta has debated the feature since early last year due to safety and privacy risks. Internal discussions explored limiting early access, including a plan to debut Name Tag at a conference for the visually impaired. That rollout was ultimately abandoned, the report said.
An internal memo cited by The New York Times suggested Meta viewed the current U.S. political climate as an opportunity to launch the feature with reduced public scrutiny. The document noted that some civil society groups typically critical of such technology may be focused on other priorities.
Meta previously explored facial recognition for its first-generation smart glasses in 2021 but dropped the effort amid technical hurdles and ethical concerns. The company has reportedly revisited the idea following stronger-than-expected adoption of its smart glasses and a shifting regulatory environment more favorable to large technology firms.
Industry analysts expect these developments to coincide with strong market growth: Smart Analytics Global forecasts the AI smart glasses market will quadruple in 2026, driven by Ray-Ban Meta and anticipated entries from Apple and Samsung, with revenue projected to reach $5.6 billion.
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