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More than 70 groups say Meta’s reported “Name Tag” plan for Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses could enable stalking and silent ID checks in public.
In short: More than 70 advocacy groups are asking Meta to cancel a reported face recognition feature for its Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses.
A coalition of more than 70 organizations, including the ACLU, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), and Fight for the Future, sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging the company to abandon plans to add face recognition to Meta’s smart glasses.
The groups say the feature, reportedly called “Name Tag” inside Meta, could let someone wearing the glasses identify strangers in public without those people knowing. Face recognition means software that matches a face to an identity, like a phone unlocking when it sees you, but aimed at other people.
According to reports about internal discussions, Meta engineers considered two versions. One would identify only people the wearer is already connected to on Meta services. Another could identify anyone with a public account on a Meta service such as Instagram.
The coalition argues that this is not a problem that can be fixed with small design tweaks or opt-out settings. Their key point is consent, because people walking by on the street would have no practical way to agree or refuse.
The letter also asks Meta to disclose any known cases where its wearables were used for stalking or harassment. It also asks Meta to disclose talks with federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE and Customs and Border Protection, about using these devices or their data.
Meta and EssilorLuxottica, which makes Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses and works with Meta on the devices, did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
If face recognition is built into everyday glasses, it could make public places feel more like constant ID checks. The groups warn this could be especially risky for abuse victims, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ people, since a stranger could quietly connect a face to a name and personal details online.
Source: Wired
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