Smart glasses in court are a privacy nightmare

2026-02-20 · Source: The Verge · Field: Legal & Regulatory — Legal Technology (LegalTech), Compliance & Risk Management, Regulatory Affairs & Government Relations · Depth: Fundamental Awareness, short

Summary

The increasing presence of camera-equipped smart glasses, such as Meta's Ray-Ban models, is creating significant privacy concerns in courtrooms, leading to judicial warnings and outright bans. During a recent trial, Judge Carolyn Kuhl ordered Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's team to remove their smart glasses and delete any recordings, threatening contempt of court. Despite this, one individual was observed still wearing the glasses near jurors. Several US District Courts, including Hawaii and Western Wisconsin, and Forsyth County Court in North Carolina, have already banned smart glasses, with Colorado considering similar measures. These bans reflect long-standing prohibitions on courtroom recording, dating back to the 1946 Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, aimed at protecting witness and juror privacy and preventing intimidation. The challenge of enforcing these bans is growing, as Meta sold 7 million pairs of smart glasses in 2025, and Apple plans a 2027 release, with features like facial recognition on the horizon.

Key takeaway

For legal professionals and court administrators managing courtroom technology, you should proactively establish clear policies and enforcement mechanisms regarding smart glasses. The rapid adoption of devices like Meta's Ray-Bans and upcoming Apple glasses, coupled with features like facial recognition, necessitates updated guidelines to protect juror and witness privacy. Consider implementing explicit bans and educating staff on detection to maintain judicial integrity and prevent unauthorized recording.

Key insights

Smart glasses pose significant privacy and enforcement challenges for established courtroom recording prohibitions.

Principles

• Courtroom integrity requires recording restrictions.
• Judges maintain broad authority over courtroom devices.

In practice

• Implement clear smart glass policies in sensitive areas.
• Educate staff on covert recording risks.

Topics

• Smart Glasses
• Privacy Concerns
• Courtroom Technology
• Surveillance
• Legal Regulations

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by The Verge.