Topic / Subject

A judge reportedly warned people on Mark Zuckerberg’s team to remove Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses in court — and said any recordings would need to be deleted, with contempt consequences on the table. 

TL;DR

Smart glasses just hit their “real world” wall: the second you walk into a courtroom, they’re not a gadget — they’re a potential recording violation. 

Key Details

CBS News reports the judge scolded Zuckerberg’s team for wearing Meta’s smart glasses during a trial.  Forbes reports the judge warned not to record with the glasses and said any recording would need to be deleted to avoid potential contempt issues.  Gizmodo frames the moment as a flashing “liability” sign for always-on, camera-adjacent wearables in sensitive spaces.  There’s no public confirmation that anyone actually recorded anything — the warning was about the risk. 

Breakdown

This is the scenario privacy critics have been talking about since the first camera-on-your-face products: places with strict rules (courts, schools, theaters) will treat these devices as a problem by default. 

And courts don’t really do “but I wasn’t recording.” The judge’s message, as reported, was basically: remove them, and if anything was captured, delete it — now. 

The bigger story is policy whiplash. As smart glasses normalize, more venues will have to decide: ban them, sticker them, tape over them, or build new rules around them. 

What to Watch Next

Whether more courts and venues publish explicit “no smart glasses” rules.  Any Meta response or updated guidance for wearing the glasses in restricted environments.  Whether this moment becomes the reference point that keeps popping up in future privacy fights. 

Sources

CBS News — Judge scolds Mark Zuckerberg’s team for wearing Meta glasses to social media trial

Forbes — Judge During Zuckerberg Testimony: Don’t Record Using Meta Glasses In Court

Gizmodo — Did Meta Just Accidentally Prove Smart Glasses Are a Liability?

Comment

Should venues treat smart glasses like phones (fine if off) or like cameras (ban by default)?