Meta tests facial recognition from military supplier in smart glasses
Meta tested facial recognition software from Rank One Computing, a company that supplies surveillance tools to US military and law enforcement, reportedly for integration into Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses. The software can identify faces from up to 1 kilometer away and support millions of facial templates, raising concerns about consumer devices incorporating military-grade surveillance capabilities.
What happened
Meta tested facial recognition software from Rank One Computing, a Denver-based company that derives approximately 80% of its revenue from government clients, according to a software license obtained by WIRED.
The license covers a test version of the Meta AI application that supports Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses. Rank One's facial recognition technology has been purchased by the US Marshals Service for inmate identification without fingerprinting and by NCIS, the investigative arm of the US Navy.
Reported impact
The revelation shows a convergence between government surveillance systems and commercial consumer technology products, raising privacy concerns about smart glasses potentially incorporating military-grade facial recognition capabilities.
Rank One's technology can identify faces from distances up to 1 kilometer and supports up to 10 million facial templates in continuous active operation. Its algorithms are widely used by police departments across the United States.
Index analysis
Meta previously developed an internal facial recognition system called 'NameTag' for its smart glasses, which the company largely removed from the application after WIRED's earlier reporting on the system.
The license indicates Meta gained access to facial recognition software and motion detection functions that determine whether the camera is recording a real face rather than a photograph or mask.
Governance controls
Meta declined to comment on the collaboration with Rank One Computing and did not respond to inquiries about when the testing began or whether it continues.
Testing by the National Institute of Standards and Technology found accuracy variations across demographic groups in Rank One's technology.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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