Meta’s plans for AI facial recognition smart glasses ‘threatens safety of all women and girls’

Domestic abuse charities said the feature could pose a ‘direct and serious’ risk to survivors

Women and girls could be put at risk of harassment, stalking, and abuse if Meta presses ahead with plans to add AI facial recognition features to its smart glasses, leading charities have warned.

Experts said the technology, which would allow wearers to identify people and find out information about them using the platform’s AI tool, could pose a “direct and serious” risk to survivors by placing them “in harm's way” and enabling abusers to locate and track them.

They added that the feature also has the potential to threaten the safety of “all women and girls in public” by giving wearers the ability to access information about them without their consent.

It comes after a New York Times report revealed Meta, which owns Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram, is considering plans to add facial recognition technology to its Meta glasses as soon as this year. But sources told the New York Times the feature would not give people the ability to look up anyone and everyone they encountered.

Domestic abuse charities said wearable technology such as smart glasses are increasingly being used by perpetrators to stalk and harass survivors (AFP via Getty Images)

The sources suggested the tool is still being developed, but could involve using a “name tag” system to identify a face someone is linked to through a Meta platform, or has a public profile on a Meta platform like Facebook or Instagram.

Domestic abuse charities Refuge and Women’s Aid told The Independent the “tragic reality” is that abusers would use such tools for “nefarious” purposes. A Meta spokesperson said it is “still thinking through options” with regard to the feature and would take a “thoughtful” approach to it.

Emma Pickering, head of the tech-facilitated abuse and economic empowerment team at Refuge, said Meta’s plans pose a “direct and serious risk” to survivors.

“Stalking is an extremely common tactic used by perpetrators, and an instant identification feature could place survivors in harm’s way by enabling abusers to locate and track them,” she said.

“It also threatens the safety of all women and girls in public, by giving wearers the ability to access information about someone’s identity without consent, which risks facilitating harassment, surveillance and other abuse.”

She added the charity supports “countless survivors subjected to tech-facilitated abuse every single day” and that it is “currently far too easy for perpetrators to weaponise smart accessories” - with “devastating” consequences for survivors.

Both charities told The Independent they believe technology companies must consider women’s safety as a “foundational principle” when designing new products.

“Time and again, we see what happens when devices go to market without proper consideration of how they might be used to harm women and girls,” Ms Pickering said, adding it is “unacceptable” for their safety and wellbeing to be treated as an “afterthought”.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wearing his company’s smart glasses (REUTERS)

Isabelle Younane, head of external Affairs at Women’s Aid, said it is “vital” for products to be developed with a “safety by design” at their heart.

It comes after reports that women are being filmed without their consent using smart glasses. Experts told The Independent women experience “multifold” harms from this behaviour, including the risk of being victims of deepfakes, having to “guard” their privacy in public spaces, and becoming subject to discussions in comment spaces with a “global” reach.

Last month, Refuge warned abusers are increasingly using wearable technology, such as smartwatches and rings to stalk, harass, and coerce survivors.

Data released by the charity showed a 62 per cent rise in referrals to its technology-facilitated abuse and economic empowerment team in 2025 to 829, up from 512 in 2024.

A Meta spokesperson said: “We’re building products that help millions of people connect and enrich their lives.

“While we frequently hear about the interest in this type of feature – and some products already exist in the market – we're still thinking through options and will take a thoughtful approach if and before we roll anything out.”