About five years ago, Facebook made headlines when it shut down its facial recognition system that automatically suggested tags for people in photos. At the time, the company said it wanted to strike a better balance between innovation and growing concerns around privacy, legality, and misuse of biometric data. Now, Meta Facebook’s parent company appears ready to revisit facial recognition once again, this time in a very different form. According to people familiar with the matter, Meta is planning to introduce facial recognition technology into its smart glasses, developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the company behind Ray-Ban and Oakley. The feature, internally referred to as “Name Tag,” could launch as early as this year and would allow wearers to identify people they see and receive contextual information through Meta’s AI assistant. These plans are still evolving. Internal discussions have been ongoing since early last year, with Meta acknowledging that the feature carries significant safety and privacy risks. An internal document from May, reviewed by The New York Times, revealed that the company initially considered testing the feature at a conference for people who are blind before rolling it out more broadly a plan that was ultimately delayed. The same internal memo suggested that the current political climate in the United States presented a strategic opportunity. It noted that during a period of intense political activity, many civil rights and advocacy groups would likely be focused elsewhere, reducing immediate public backlash. Facial recognition has long been controversial. Privacy advocates have warned that the technology can be exploited for mass surveillance, unauthorized tracking, and even harassment. Several cities and states have restricted law enforcement’s use of facial recognition due to concerns over accuracy and civil liberties. Democratic lawmakers have also urged federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to stop using the technology in public spaces. Civil liberties groups argue that widespread facial recognition threatens everyday anonymity. Critics say it opens the door to abuse by governments, corporations, and individuals alike. Meta previously explored adding facial recognition to its first generation of Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2021 but stepped back due to ethical concerns and technical limitations. Interest in the technology has resurfaced as smart glasses have gained unexpected commercial success and as Meta faces increasing competition from companies developing AI-powered wearables. EssilorLuxottica recently announced that more than seven million Meta smart glasses were sold last year, highlighting strong consumer demand. At the same time, companies like OpenAI have hinted at launching their own AI-focused wearable devices, raising pressure on Meta to differentiate its products. Mark Zuckerberg reportedly sees facial recognition as a way to make Meta’s smart glasses more useful and to strengthen the capabilities of its AI assistant. The company is currently debating who should be identifiable through the system. Options include recognizing people the user already knows through Meta platforms, as well as public figures or users with public profiles on services like Instagram. Importantly, Meta has stated that the feature would not function as a universal facial search tool, meaning users would not be able to identify just anyone they encounter. In a public statement, Meta said it is still carefully evaluating its options and emphasized that it intends to take a thoughtful and responsible approach before releasing any such feature. Smart glasses have already demonstrated the potential and the risks of facial recognition. In 2024, two Harvard students used Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses alongside a third-party facial recognition service to identify strangers on public transportation, sparking widespread debate. Meta responded at the time by pointing to a visible LED indicator on the glasses that signals when recording is taking place. Looking ahead, Meta is also developing advanced glasses under an internal project known as “super sensing.” These devices would continuously use cameras and sensors to document a wearer’s surroundings throughout the day. Facial recognition would play a central role, enabling features such as reminders triggered when a colleague comes into view. One unresolved question is how transparent these glasses should be to people nearby. Meta executives have debated whether visible indicators like LED lights are sufficient or whether new signals are needed to alert others when continuous sensing is active. Despite the controversy, Meta has invested in facial recognition research for over a decade. Zuckerberg has supported efforts within the company’s AI research teams to explore how the technology could assist people who are blind or visually impaired. Meta has collaborated with accessibility organizations, including Be My Eyes, to study potential benefits. Leaders within the accessibility community have expressed cautious support, noting that facial recognition could offer meaningful assistance for people with low or no vision when implemented responsibly. However, Meta’s history with privacy remains a major concern. The company has paid billions of dollars in settlements related to past facial recognition practices, including lawsuits in Illinois and Texas. In 2019, Facebook also paid a record fine to the Federal Trade Commission over privacy violations. As part of that settlement, Meta agreed to conduct rigorous privacy reviews for new products. Yet internal reports suggest that the company recently scaled back the influence of its privacy teams and shortened review timelines. Some employees have questioned whether these changes stretch the limits of Meta’s agreement with regulators. Internal discussions indicate that leadership is willing to push boundaries in pursuit of innovation, even as scrutiny around facial recognition intensifies.