Are AI smart glasses banned in US courts? Recent reports raise privacy concerns
Are AI smart glasses banned in US courts? Recent reports raise privacy concerns
Publish Date: 2026-04-05 05:26:00
Source Domain: tech.sportskeeda.com
The Philadelphia Court system has recently banned AI smart glasses. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer report (March 26, 2026), “any eyewear with video and audio recording capability will be forbidden in all of the First Judicial District buildings, courthouses, or offices, even for people who have a prescription.”
This is not a first in the US, with Hawaii and Wisconsin meting out a similar treatment to AI glasses and Colorado considering the same. Royal Caribbean cruise liner prohibits the use of smart glasses “where there is a reasonable expectation of guest or crew privacy”. A similar ban is in place from MSC also.
This list is, by no means, exhaustive and seeks to merely paint a picture of the growing concerns surrounding this particular genre of wearable tech. But why do AI smart glasses find themselves in hot water? Is it merely a resistance towards new technology or is it founded on valid concerns and evidence?
By AI smart glasses, we are referring to the camera smart glasses, like those made by Meta (for example, Meta Ray Ban Gen 2) and not AR glasses (for example, Viture Luma Ultra). The former is more of an everyday eyewear that will not draw people’s attention to it, while the latter will do that much more clearly.
AI smart glasses are a privacy headache and may see more bans in the future
The inconspicuous nature of the camera in AI smart glasses
For all their bells and whistles, AI smart glasses have been a painful headache in the matter of privacy and security. The ease of capturing anything (and anybody) by the discrete cameras integrated into the frames of these devices means the users can take pictures/videos without calling much attention to themselves, if any.
Discreetly packed cameras for recording unassumingly are not a new invention, but with smart glasses, like those from Meta, they are baked right into the frame of the eyewear. Meta has put an…
