Groups warn Meta glasses could put millions at risk of exposure

The coalition includes groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Fight for the Future, Access Now and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

In a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the groups call for the company to halt development of a feature reportedly known as “Name Tag,” which would allow users to identify people in their field of view through an AI-powered system.

According to the letter, the risks cannot be addressed through design changes or opt-out options, as people in public spaces have no practical way to avoid being scanned. The groups warn that the tool could also be used to monitor protesters, target individuals at sensitive locations such as clinics or nonviolent protests, and link identities to detailed personal data.

The letter highlights broader societal risks, including the possibility of political activists, public officials, and private citizens being identified and tracked in daily life. It also points to evidence that facial recognition systems can produce biased results, increasing the likelihood of harm to minority communities.

“Stalkers and scammers using the tech could conceivably find out, quickly and in complete stealth, not just the name of the person sitting next to them on the subway — but their address, marital status, social media profiles, workplace, income, hobbies, health information, and habits. That’s frightening to contemplate,” reads the statement.

The groups are calling on Meta to commit to not releasing any facial recognition features in its products, to disclose known cases of misuse involving its devices, and to engage independent experts before introducing biometric technologies.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that private data from Meta smart glasses might end up in Kenya.