According to relevant announcements, starting from July 20, 2026, all head-mounted devices and glasses containing cameras, microphones or other recording functions will be prohibited from entering more than 1,240 state, county, city, town and village courts in New York State.
The ban covers a wide range of products, including not only all types of smart glasses with recording functions, but also prescription lenses. The rule applies to all persons entering court buildings, including court staff and attorneys. At present, relevant notices have been posted at the entrances of some courts in New York State. The management department recommends that people who need prescription glasses should bring a pair of ordinary non-smart glasses as a backup when entering the court.
A memo issued by the New York State Court Administration shows that the main purpose of implementing this ban is to prevent court proceedings from being illegally recorded in private. Such behavior is a violation under state law and local court regulations, and is highly likely to lead to serious privacy issues such as the disclosure of the identities of jury members.
Smart glasses have always been a controversial consumer electronics product. As early as the early 2010s, Google Glass sparked fierce public resistance and eventually led to the discontinuation of related products. Now, with companies like Meta re-promoting smart glasses technology, privacy advocates are still concerned about whether such wearable devices with hands-free recording capabilities can protect privacy in public spaces, even as manufacturers try to allay concerns with privacy protection measures such as indicator lights. Currently, some mainstream smart glasses products on the market will automatically and forcefully turn off the camera function when trying to block or disable the shooting indicator light, but this has not quelled public controversy over the use of such technology in sensitive places.