New York becomes first US state to ban this popular smart gadget in 1,240 courthouses
People attending court in the state of New York will have to surrender their smart glasses before entering under a new ban.
The US state has become the first in the country to ban smart glasses within their premises, applying to all 1,240 state, county, city, town and village courts.
Local outlet Syracuse noted that signs announcing the ban were posted last week on the doors of the Honorable James C. Torney II Criminal Court House.
Eyewear and headwear equipped with cameras and microphones have grown in popularity since hitting the market a few years ago. However concerns have been raised about where and when wearable tech should be used.
Advert
Recording generally isn’t permitted in courts. The New York State Unified Court System’s rules state, ‘taking photographs, films or videotapes, or audiotaping, broadcasting or telecasting, in a courthouse including any courtroom, office or hallway thereof, at any time or on any occasion, whether or not the court is in session, is forbidden’.
Smart glasses could make recording a lot easier than using a much larger smartphone as there is no need to use a handheld device to start taking a video.
However, smart glasses typically have lights that switch on and blink to indicate that the wearer is currently taking photos or recording videos - however there are concerns that this could be hidden.
Smart glasses and the possibility of covert reporting has previously been commented on. One high-profile instance that drew attention to the use of smart glasses in court occurred in February 2026, when Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a jury trial over allegations that social media platforms were designed to be addictive.
Members of his entourage entered the courthouse wearing Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, prompting the judge to warn that any courtroom recordings made with the devices would have to be deleted and could result in contempt charges.
News reports noted that it remains unclear whether the glasses were used to record proceedings, but the incident raised concerns about protecting juror privacy and preventing unauthorized recording.
While some courts in other states, including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, already bar smart glasses from their premises, New York is the first state to issue a wider ban. Smart glasses that have prescription lenses are also part of the ban, with court attendees being asked to bring a regular pair of glasses.
The ban across the state is expected to start on 20 July.