Here’s the Truth About Whether Meta’s NameTag Face Recognition Tech ‘Exists’

Meta had embedded inactive but technically functional NameTag face-recognition code inside the Meta AI companion app on millions of devices; researchers were able to find and exercise components of the system, and Meta removed the code after reporting. The article outlines the timeline, public statements from Meta executives, and the distinction Meta draws between exploring a feature and releasing it, highlighting privacy and product-governance concerns rather than a direct security breach.