UK courts ban Meta glasses over secret recording fears

Courts across England and Wales have joined restaurants, theatres and pubs in banning Meta smart glasses amid growing concerns that the devices could be used to secretly record people, The Guardian reports.

His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), which oversees criminal, civil and family courts in England and Wales, has confirmed that Meta glasses will be confiscated from anyone entering court buildings.

A spokesperson told the Guardian: “There are clear restrictions on taking images or videos within courts and tribunals which is why the use of Meta glasses is prohibited.”

Recording images or video inside UK court buildings without official permission is prohibited and can constitute contempt of court. While smartphones are permitted, HMCTS said the same exception does not apply to smart glasses.

A source said: “Users who bring Meta glasses into courts or tribunals will have them confiscated on entry and they will be returned when the owner leaves the building.”

Smartphones may be brought into court provided they are not used to record proceedings.

The ban follows concerns raised earlier this year when a claimant was accused of using smart glasses while giving evidence in the High Court. Judge Raquel Agnello KC said Laimonas Jakštys had been “assisted or coached in his replies to questions put to him during cross examination”. Jakštys denied using the glasses to receive answers.

New York’s court system also recently introduced a ban, saying it was intended to ensure “individuals cannot surreptitiously record court proceedings”.

Concerns over privacy have also prompted several UK restaurants, theatres and pubs, including Wetherspoons, to prohibit the glasses. Critics have dubbed them “pervert glasses” amid fears they could be used to film people without consent.

Meta declined to comment specifically on the court ban. The company said a visible pulsing light appears when the glasses are recording and that regularly updated tamper-detection technology is designed to prevent users from covering the indicator.

Meta sold 7 million pairs of the glasses last year, with prices ranging from £269 to £469.

By Vafa Guliyeva