Meta apparently thinks we're too distracted to care about facial recognition and Ray-Bans

Core Insights - Meta's Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, launched in 2021, have raised questions about the potential for facial recognition technology, which has resurfaced recently due to a New York Times report [1][5] - The company is contemplating the addition of facial recognition features, citing a favorable political climate as a distraction for potential backlash [5][6] Company Performance - Since their launch, Meta's Ray-Ban glasses have been unexpectedly successful, with sales reportedly tripling in 2025, leading to supply challenges for EssilorLuxottica, the owner of Ray-Ban [3] Technical and Legal Considerations - Legal and privacy concerns, rather than technical limitations, have thus far prevented the implementation of facial recognition features in the glasses [5] - An incident in 2024 involved Harvard students modifying the glasses for facial recognition, although Meta clarified that the glasses themselves did not possess this capability [4] Strategic Timing - An internal memo from Meta suggested that the current political turmoil in the United States could provide an opportune moment for the release of facial recognition features, as civil society groups may be preoccupied with other issues [6][7]