Meta glasses banned from courts in England and Wales

Courts in England and Wales have officially banned Meta glasses from all judicial buildings, joining a growing wave of restrictions against the wearable technology across hospitality venues and international legal systems. Reported by The Guardian on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, the policy change means anyone attempting to enter a criminal, civil, or family court wearing the camera-equipped eyewear will face immediate confiscation.

His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) confirmed the restriction, explaining that the eyewear violates longstanding prohibitions against recording images or videos within court and tribunal buildings without official permission. Unauthorised recording inside UK judicial facilities can be prosecuted as contempt of court. While lawyers and members of the public are allowed to enter courts with smartphones, which can record both video and audio, the

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According to reporting from Newsbytesapp, security staff at court entrances will seize the glasses upon arrival and return them to owners when they leave the premises. The enforcement mirrors a recent measure enacted by courts in New York, where security personnel require visitors to voucher smart glasses for safekeeping before entering unified court system facilities.

The judicial crackdown follows mounting privacy concerns surrounding the wearable devices. Critics have labelled the technology spyware and pervert glasses amid widespread fears that users can covertly film individuals, particularly women, without consent. Consequently, numerous restaurants, theatres, and pubs across the UK, including Wetherspoons, have already implemented bans.

Tensions surrounding the devices in legal settings were highlighted earlier this year in the high court. A claimant involved in a property company directorship dispute was accused by a judge of wearing smart glasses to receive outside coaching while giving evidence under cross-examination. Although the litigant, Laimonas Jakstys, denied using the glasses to obtain answers, and denied they were connected to his phone, Mrs Justice Agnello directed him to remove the eyewear. HMCTS does not hold figures on the number of incidents of smart glasses being used or taken into courts.

Controversy has also touched the technology's manufacturer at the highest levels. Earlier in the year, security guards protecting Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg wore the smart glasses during a high-profile social media addiction trial in California. That presiding judge, Carolyn B Kuhl, warned the security detail that they faced contempt of court charges if any recordings of the proceedings were made.

Meta representatives declined to comment on the court bans. The company has previously defended the hardware by noting that the glasses display a visible pulsing light whenever recording is active. Meta also stated that it employs frequently updated tamper detection technology is deployed to stop users covering this light during recordings.

The ban arrives concurrently with broader developments across the technology sector. Meta recently unveiled an open-source artificial intelligence model titled Muse Glimmer, as detailed by Techdigest, alongside corporate discussions regarding infrastructure funding and regulatory frameworks. Meanwhile, retail adoption of the smart glasses remains substantial; last year Meta sold 7m pairs of the glasses, which cost between £269 and £469.

Recent Actions Against Smart Glasses

• England and Wales: HMCTS mandates confiscation at all criminal, civil, and family court entrances, returning items upon departure.
• New York: Unified court system requires visitors to check smart glasses with uniformed personnel for safekeeping before entry.
• UK Hospitality: Various pubs, restaurants, and theatres—including Wetherspoons—prohibit the eyewear over privacy complaints.

As judicial authorities tighten security protocols against surreptitious recording devices, visitors to courts in England and Wales must leave their smart eyewear outside or surrender it to building security upon arrival.