Meta removed facial recognition code from smart glasses app after disclosure
Meta embedded facial recognition code called "NameTag" in its Meta AI smart glasses app, which was installed by over 50 million users, but removed it one day after Wired reported its discovery. Meta initially denied the functionality existed while maintaining the code in the application since January 2026.
What happened
Meta embedded facial recognition code called 'NameTag' in its Meta AI smart glasses application, which had been downloaded by over 50 million users. The system, integrated into the app since January 2026, converted faces captured by the smart glasses cameras into unique biometric signatures and compared them against a database stored on the user's device.
Wired reported the discovery of NameTag in early June 2026. One day after publication, Meta released an application update that removed all code related to the facial recognition feature. Meta claimed the functionality was never activated and had been included only for testing purposes.
Meta initially denied the functionality existed while the code remained integrated in the application. Andy Stone, Meta's vice president of communications, stated that 'no final decision has been made about what to do here, if anything,' and claimed 'the function does not exist.' Andrew Bosworth, Meta's chief technology officer, called the Wired report 'tremendously misleading' and 'absolutely dishonest.'
Reported impact
Privacy advocates warned that such a tool would give stalkers and abusers the ability to identify strangers on the street. The system was designed to recognize faces known to the user and, for unknown faces, would crop, index and save them locally for later processing.
Index analysis
The New York Times had previously reported in February 2026 on this project using internal documents, which discussed a possible launch later that year. A Meta memo described timing the launch during a politically turbulent environment when civil liberties advocates would be distracted.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.