One day after WIRED disclosed that Meta had secretly embedded an unreleased face-recognition system into its Meta AI app, the company has removed the associated code from the latest version of the application. This app, which supports Meta’s smart glasses, previously contained unactivated components related to the system known as NameTag. An analysis of the updated app shows that the latest release no longer includes any references to face-recognition software.
Earlier reports revealed that this NameTag feature was designed to transform faces captured by the smart glasses into unique biometric identifiers, known as faceprints, and compare these with a database of faceprints stored on the user’s device. Unidentified faces were also processed and stored for future analysis. The presence of this feature was reportedly considered a potentially controversial move by Meta, especially amidst heightened public concerns regarding privacy and civil rights.
After WIRED’s initial report on this integration, Meta’s vice president dismissed the findings, claiming that the feature did not exist and that the company could not address questions about its operation. Additionally, Meta’s CTO labeled the report as misleading and dishonest.
When approached for further comment, Meta refrained from addressing multiple inquiries regarding the functionality of the face-recognition system, the retention of photographs and biometric data, and whether users could choose to opt-out of such features.
In the new update of the Meta AI app, significant remnants of the NameTag were also found to be eliminated, including the software responsible for face recognition and the system alerts that would have notified users when a person was recognized. However, some traces, such as an internal debug menu, still remain in the latest version.
The removal of the face-recognition code raises questions about privacy practices and the regulatory landscape affecting data privacy laws in the U.S., with advocates stressing the need for stronger consumer protections. The American Civil Liberties Union has urged state lawmakers to implement necessary privacy legislation, reflecting concerns that such technology could potentially be misused by individuals seeking to harm others.
For more details, see here: WIRED report.
