Meta does an about-face

TL;DR: If you’ve ever squinted at someone from across the bar and thought, “Wait, did I go to college with them?” Meta wants to help—and will likely open a can of worms in the process. The company is reportedly working on facial recognition for its Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, reviving a technology it previously shut down over privacy concerns. This time, Meta is betting that both the product and the moment are finally in its favor.

What happened: The New York Times first reported that Meta is working on facial recognition software, internally dubbed “Name Tag,” that would allow Ray-Ban wearers to identify people nearby and see information tied to their Meta profiles. The company says it will take a “thoughtful approach” to evaluating the feature and hasn’t announced an official launch, but reports say it could arrive as soon as this year. That would mark a notable reversal for a business that once argued the technology had become too risky to continue.

Context, please: This isn’t Meta’s first rodeo. It actually shut down Facebook’s original facial recognition system in 2021, citing “growing societal concerns.” Along the way, Meta faced years of legal scrutiny, including a $5 billion Federal Trade Commission fine over privacy violations. The company also agreed to biometric data settlements totaling more than $2 billion in Illinois and Texas.

What’s changed: A few things. First, Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses have quietly become one of the company’s rare hardware hits, selling millions of units (Zuck’s courthouse entourage even showed up wearing them at trial yesterday). Facial recognition technology would make Meta’s glasses far more powerful—allowing its AI assistant to recognize people in real time and provide context automatically. Also worth noting: The political and regulatory environment has shifted under the Trump administration, which has signaled it could be less aggressive on privacy enforcement.

What’s next: Glasses that recognize people raise painfully obvious questions, including whether people can be identified without consent or whether that data could eventually be accessed by law enforcement. (Reminder: Customs and Border Patrol agents wore Meta glasses to raids last year). And even in a friendlier regulatory environment, consumer backlash is still a risk. Just look at the reaction to the Amazon Ring Super Bowl ad, which led to an outcry about AI-powered surveillance. Meta has spent years betting on how much privacy people are willing to trade for convenience. Now, with AI glasses gaining traction and the environment shifting in its favor, it’s betting the answer might be: more than before. —AC

Related story: Meta’s also got plans to launch a smartwatch later this year.