Meta удалила распознавание лиц из мобильного приложения своих умных очков

Meta removed hidden facial recognition code from its smart glasses app, discovered by Wired journalists. The company did not explain the reasons and did not confirm whether the feature will ever return.

What Wired Found

Wired researchers conducted a detailed analysis of the code for Meta AI (the official companion app for Ray-Ban smart glasses) and discovered a hidden facial recognition module. This feature worked in the background, allowing the system to identify people in the glasses' field of view without explicit user consent. At the time of the discovery, the module remained active in the latest version of the app available on the App Store and Google Play.

This technical finding is particularly concerning because users were completely unaware of such a capability. Their data was being collected without their knowledge. The code included advanced biometric tools:

• Real-time scanning and analysis of faces in the user's field of view
• Comparison of detected faces with a database of known individuals and celebrities
• Logging and saving recognition results
• Sending collected biometric data to Meta's servers for processing, analysis, and long-term storage

This level of functionality suggests that work on the facial recognition system had been underway for a long time and significant resources were invested in development, testing, and engineering.

Privacy and Consumer Trust Questions

The discovery of the hidden facial recognition feature sparked a wave of justified criticism. Users and digital privacy experts pointed out that Meta did not disclose the existence of such a feature either in its privacy policy or in the app's feature description. This is a blatant example of how consumers can unknowingly and without consent provide sensitive biometric data.

Smart glasses with integrated cameras have already raised serious concerns among privacy advocates. But hidden facial recognition transforms the device from a simple assistant into a large-scale tool for mass identification of people around the user — family members, colleagues, strangers on the street — without their knowledge or consent. Such technologies can be used for surveillance and profiling.

"This is a serious violation of basic principles of informed consent and fundamental trust between a company and its users," noted security experts in comments to the

Wired article.

Meta's Silence and Lack of Accountability

Following the Wired investigation publication, the controversial feature was removed from the app. However, Meta has not issued any official explanatory statement that would shed light on what happened. Company representatives refused to disclose key details: when exactly the facial recognition feature was first added to the app code, how many users could potentially be affected by the collection and analysis of their biometric data, and whether the company plans to bring back this feature in the future.

The company's silence contrasts with its public statements about commitment to user privacy. This gap between words and actions intensifies dissatisfaction. Such silence only amplified public criticism and launched a broad discussion about how responsibly major technology giants approach issues of confidentiality and ethics in developing new products and features.

What This Means for the Future of Technology

Meta's story with hidden facial recognition is an important signal for regulators, lawmakers, and ordinary users. Smart glasses and wearable devices with cameras will become an integral part of the future of everyday life. But without clear legal standards for privacy, transparency, and control mechanisms, such devices could become a powerful tool for mass surveillance and control.

Now it is up to lawmakers and the companies themselves to build genuine trust through complete transparency about what data is collected and how it is used.

*Meta is recognized as an extremist organization and banned in the Russian Federation.