Meta Removes Face-Recognition Code From Smart Glasses App

*Meta deleted the code WIRED identified in the Meta AI companion app, then declined to explain the change or its plans.*

Meta has removed the face-recognition code from the latest version of its Meta AI app for smart glasses. The company made the deletion without announcement after WIRED reported the code's presence. It has not said why the code was stripped or whether it will return.

The code allowed the app to match faces against stored references. WIRED confirmed the functions are absent from the current release. Engadget described the quiet removal as a deliberate retreat from scrutiny.

Meta offered no statement on the decision. The company also gave no indication of future intentions for similar capabilities in the glasses hardware or its software.

Why it matters

The move leaves users and developers without clarity on Meta's handling of biometric features in always-on wearable devices. When a company can add and remove such code without notice, the only reliable signal is external reporting rather than product documentation or policy updates. That pattern shifts the burden of discovery onto journalists and leaves customers guessing about what runs on hardware they wear.

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Sources:

• Wired
• Engadget

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