Meta Strips Facial Recognition Code from Ray-Ban Smart Glasses App After 70+ Rights Groups Demand Action

Meta has removed the NameTag facial recognition system from its Ray-Ban smart glasses companion app — a significant reversal following intense pressure from privacy advocates and civil rights organizations.

Timeline of Events

• June 4: WIRED reported discovering dormant facial recognition code in the Meta AI app that handles core smart glasses features
• June 5: Meta released an app update removing the code entirely — less than 24 hours after the public revelation
• June 9: The Electronic Frontier Foundation declared a "victory," confirming the biometric algorithms were fully stripped

What NameTag Could Do

• Real-time identification: The dormant code could convert photos of faces into biometric "faceprints" and compare them against a database
• Social media matching: NameTag was designed to spot strangers with public Instagram or Facebook accounts by matching their face to profile photos
• On-device processing: Facial scans were stored and compared locally on the user's device

Why It Was Removed

More than 70 civil rights and advocacy organizations — including the ACLU, EFF, and international privacy groups — wrote to Meta demanding the feature be abandoned. They argued it enabled mass surveillance, stalking, and harassment at scale. The previous discovery of the code had already raised alarms among smart glasses buyers.

What This Means for Buyers

This is a positive development for smart glasses privacy. The Ray-Ban Meta at $379 remains the best AI-powered smart glasses available, and the removal of NameTag means you can use them without the specter of hidden facial recognition. For privacy-first alternatives, the Even Realities G1 offers no camera at all. Browse all options in our smart glasses guide.