The news: Next year, Meta plans to launch next-gen smart glasses with facial recognition software that can identify people in view, per The Information, testing the limits of data privacy. And regulators may allow it.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it will take a “flexible, risk-based approach” to privacy enforcement.

Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses currently save user voice recordings in the cloud by default, with no opt out. Unless users disable hands-free voice assistant functionality—a key feature—Meta can also use photos and videos.

How it will work: Meta’s upcoming smart glasses, codenamed Aperol and Bellini, will feature a “super sensing” mode that keeps cameras and sensors constantly turned on. That’s a departure from current-gen glasses, which only monitor visual input when prompted by a “Hey Meta” voice command.

Now, because of battery limitations, the glasses can run “live AI” for only about 30 minutes. The next-gen models could run the feature for hours.

Having AI always on would allow it to remember what a user saw throughout the day, per The Information, and could help find lost objects or remember what’s in the fridge when grocery shopping.

Zooming out: Meta isn’t alone in rolling back data privacy policies.

• In March, Amazon changed its policy for Alexa requests on Echo devices. Those requests are now sent to Amazon’s servers to improve Alexa’s generative AI (genAI) capabilities, with no opt out.
• In April, Google scrapped its plan to end third-party cookies and laid off 10% of the team working on Privacy Sandbox, an initiative focused on online privacy and safer data tracking practices.

Facebook ended its facial recognition system in 2021, citing “growing societal concerns.”

Creeping limits: Consumer sentiment may be shifting toward sharing data for personalized recommendations and experiences, which could normalize aggressive data collection.

• 39% of US adults between the ages of 18 and 34 are willing to share personal information in exchange for tailored digital services, per EY.
• Many consumers may accept that using AI and AI-enabled wearables means handing over personal data to Big Tech.

Our take: Meta’s goals with Aperol and Bellini are likely twofold: Provide users with a personalized assistant with memory and context to support complex requests, and gather information to serve its ad business and model-training efforts.

While facial recognition may hit roadblocks in the UK and the EU, looser regulations in the US could allow a free-for-all on data collection.