META GLASSES BANNED FROM COURTS IN ENGLAND AND WALES OVER SECRET RECORDING RISK

Thu 13 August 2026:

Courts in England and Wales have followed the lead of various restaurants, theatres, and pubs by banning Meta’s smart glasses, driven by rising worries about potential “spyware,” media reports say.

According to an exclusive report from The Guardian on Tuesday, the court service has stated that anyone attempting to bring the glasses into court buildings will have them confiscated, with the devices returned only upon departure.

The move comes a month after courts in New York announced a ban on the controversial glasses, which can record video footage while being worn.

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

“There are clear restrictions on taking images or videos within courts and tribunals which is why the use of Meta glasses is prohibited,” an HMCTS spokesperson told the British daily.

In the UK, taking images or videos inside court buildings without official permission is prohibited and can be prosecuted as contempt of court.

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Last week, Wetherspoon, a major UK pub chain, has prohibited the use of Meta’s smart glasses with built-in cameras for filming inside its establishments. The company argues that these devices make it simpler to record individuals without their awareness or permission, and staff will instruct customers wearing them to disable the cameras.

The ban is driven by privacy worries about customers and employees being filmed without consent. Wetherspoon already forbids unauthorized filming across its network of over 800 pubs, and it views Meta’s glasses as incompatible with this policy, confirming that wearers will be asked to switch off the recording function.

A company spokesperson said the pub chains use CCTV systems for security purposes, but those systems are subject to data protection legislation. The spokesperson said Meta’s glasses pose a different problem because they enable “covert surveillance.”

Refuge, an organization working on violence against women, warned that the glasses could facilitate harassment, voyeurism and other forms of abuse against women and girls in public spaces.

Meta’s glasses have also been banned at some schools and events. Monopoly Events, the organizer behind Comic-Con events, banned use of the glasses at its events to prevent attendees from being filmed without their knowledge.

The use of the glasses in social media videos involving “prank” and flirting content, often filming women without their awareness, has also drawn controversy.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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