New York State will ban camera-equipped smart glasses from all courtrooms later this month, according to Syracuse.com, as privacy and security concerns around wearable cameras intensify nationwide.

Courts join a growing ban list

The New York directive follows similar moves from Philadelphia courts and multiple cruise lines that have restricted smart glasses use in common areas. The bans come amid heightened scrutiny of devices like Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, which can discreetly capture photos and video.

Meta responds with privacy updates

The court ban arrives as Meta rolls out a firmware update that disables the camera when the privacy LED is tampered with. The company is separately debating how to handle privacy for future always-on AI features, but critics argue the LED itself is difficult to see in bright conditions.

New York’s court order signals that government institutions are not waiting for hardware makers to solve the privacy equation. For smart glasses manufacturers, the patchwork of venue-level bans creates a regulatory challenge that product design alone may not overcome.

Source: The Verge