New York has become the first US state to impose a blanket ban on smart glasses across all its courthouses, with the rules taking effect on 20 July 2026. The measure is intended to prevent people from surreptitiously recording court proceedings, jurors or staff, and it reflects growing unease about wearable devices that can capture video and audio without an obvious gesture such as raising a phone.

The ban covers all 1,240 state, county, city, town and village courts, prohibiting any eyewear or headwear fitted with cameras and microphones inside Unified Court System facilities. Prescription smart glasses are included, so visitors are being asked to bring an ordinary pair instead, and anyone wearing the devices — including lawyers and staff — must surrender them to uniformed court officers before entering. The move follows a high-profile February incident in which members of Mark Zuckerberg's team wore Meta Ray-Ban glasses while escorting him into a jury trial over social media addiction, prompting a judicial warning. While some courts in states such as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania already restrict the devices, New York is the first to issue a statewide prohibition, echoing wider curbs by cruise lines and proposed driving restrictions in Illinois.