Facial Recognition Glasses Will Arm Sexual Predators, Meta Is Warned

A coalition of more than 70 civil liberties and advocacy groups has urged Meta to abandon plans to introduce facial recognition technology in its smart glasses, warning the feature could be misused by stalkers, abusers and law enforcement agencies, according to WIRED.

The groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, raised concerns over a reported feature internally called "Name Tag". According to reports by The New York Times, the tool would allow users to identify people in real time through the artificial intelligence system built into Meta's Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses.

Privacy concerns raised

According to WIRED, campaigners argue the technology could allow individuals to identify strangers in public without their knowledge or consent. They say this could expose vulnerable people to stalking, harassment and abuse, particularly in sensitive spaces such as protests, places of worship and medical facilities.

In a letter to Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, the coalition said such risks cannot be addressed through design changes or opt-out systems, as bystanders would have no realistic way to avoid being scanned.

Call for transparency

The groups have also demanded that Meta disclose whether its wearable devices have already been used in cases involving harassment or domestic violence. They further called for clarity on any discussions with US agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding the use of such technology.

EPIC has separately written to the Federal Trade Commission, urging regulators to investigate and block the rollout.

History of legal pressure

Meta has previously stepped back from facial recognition. In 2021, it shut down Facebook's facial tagging system following lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny. The company has paid billions of dollars in settlements related to privacy violations, including a record fine from the FTC.

Legal challenges continue to mount. Recent court rulings in the United States have questioned the safety of social media platform designs and limited protections previously relied upon by technology firms. Despite the criticism, Meta has not yet publicly responded to the latest concerns.