UK courts ban Meta smart glasses over secret recording fears

Camera-equipped smart glasses made by Meta have been banned from all court buildings across England and Wales amid concerns over privacy, security and unauthorised recording.

Under the new rules, anyone entering a court building wearing or carrying the glasses may have them temporarily confiscated by security staff. The devices will be returned when the owner leaves the premises.

The policy was introduced by His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) in line with existing restrictions on photography and video recording inside courts, according to The Guardian.

Authorities said camera-enabled smart glasses cannot be permitted because recording inside courtrooms and other sensitive areas is subject to strict legal restrictions.

Meta’s smart glasses resemble conventional eyewear but feature built-in cameras and microphones, allowing users to take photographs or record video through voice commands. A small LED light is designed to indicate when the camera is recording, but concerns remain that the devices could facilitate discreet information gathering.

The restrictions are particularly significant in court environments, where confidential evidence, personal information, witness testimony and judicial proceedings may be exposed to unauthorised recording.

Unlike smartphones, which may be permitted in courts under certain conditions, the smart glasses will not receive any exceptions. Authorities consider them more difficult to monitor because it may not always be obvious to people nearby when the glasses are being used to capture images or audio.

The move highlights growing concerns over the use of wearable artificial-intelligence and camera-enabled devices in sensitive public spaces, where conventional privacy safeguards can be harder to enforce.