Courts across England and Wales have joined a growing list of public venues restricting the use of Meta smart glasses amid concerns that the devices could be used to secretly record people and proceedings.
His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), which oversees criminal, civil and family courts in England and Wales, has confirmed that Meta smart glasses will be confiscated from visitors who attempt to bring them into court 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 Guardian.
Recording images or videos inside UK court buildings is prohibited without official permission and can amount to contempt of court. Although members of the public and lawyers can carry smartphones into court, HMCTS said smart glasses would not be treated in the same way.
A source said anyone bringing the glasses into a court or tribunal would have them taken at the entrance and returned when they leave.
“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,” the source said.
Smartphones remain permitted, provided they are not used to record court proceedings.
Concerns over smart glasses have increased following an incident earlier this year in which a High Court judge questioned whether a claimant was receiving assistance through his glasses while giving evidence.
Laimonas Jakštys was instructed to remove the device during a case concerning the directorship of a property company. Judge Raquel Agnello KC said 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 and also rejected claims that they were connected to his phone.
The HMCTS said it does not keep statistics on incidents involving smart glasses being used or confiscated at courts.
The controversy has also extended to the United States. New York’s court system recently prohibited smart glasses to prevent people from secretly recording proceedings.
The New York court system said the ban was intended to ensure “individuals cannot surreptitiously record court proceedings”.
Meta glasses have also faced restrictions in restaurants, theatres and pubs in the UK, with some businesses citing privacy concerns. Critics have raised particular concerns about people being recorded without their knowledge or consent.
Meta sold about seven million pairs of the glasses last year, with prices ranging from £269 to £469.
Meta declined to comment specifically on the UK court ban but said a visible pulsing light appears when the glasses are recording. The company also said it regularly updates tamper-detection technology designed to prevent users from covering the recording indicator.
