Meta intègre discrètement un moteur de reconnaissance faciale dans ses lunettes intelligentes

Meta’s smart‑glasses project, long shrouded in secrecy, has quietly incorporated an unreleased face‑recognition module that runs on users’ smartphones. The code, examined by WIRED, links the glasses’ “Nametag” feature to a biometric database stored locally, enabling real‑time identification of acquaintances without explicit consent. This capability raises immediate privacy questions, as the system can match faces to a personal contact list, effectively turning everyday interactions into data‑driven encounters. The technology leverages on‑device processing to avoid cloud transmission, a design choice that appears to address earlier criticism of data centralization. Yet the mere presence of a biometric engine, even if dormant, signals a willingness to embed invasive surveillance tools into consumer hardware. For developers, the API offers a novel way to enrich social experiences, but it also opens a pathway for third‑party abuse, as the same facial identifiers could be harvested by advertisers or malicious actors. Meta’s move fits within a broader industry trend where augmented reality devices are becoming conduits for biometric data collection. The company has faced repeated scrutiny over its handling of user information, from the Cambridge Analytica scandal to the controversial “Project Atlas” AR glasses. Regulators in the EU and US have begun to demand clearer disclosures about facial‑recognition capabilities, suggesting that Meta’s silent rollout may soon become a focal point of legislative debate. Looking ahead, the integration could accelerate the normalization of pervasive facial identification in public spaces, potentially reshaping social norms around anonymity. Whether Meta will activate the feature for its millions of glasses users remains uncertain, but the mere existence of the code underscores a strategic shift toward a data‑rich future that demands robust ethical safeguards and transparent policy frameworks.