Philly courts will ban all smart eyeglasses starting next week

The Philadelphia court system is implementing a sweeping ban on all forms of smart or AI-integrated eyewear, the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania announced this week. The ban, which goes into effect Monday, March 30, 2026, will prohibit any eyewear with video and audio recording capability in all courthouses and offices, even for those with prescriptions. Court spokesperson Martin O’Rourke stated the move is meant to prevent potential witness and juror intimidation from threats of secret recording, noting that 'since these glasses are difficult to detect in courtrooms, it was determined they should be banned from the building.' Violators face being barred entry, removed, or arrested and charged with criminal contempt, with the only potential exception being prior written permission from a judge.

Philadelphia joins an early wave of court systems, including those in Hawaii, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, implementing explicit smart eyewear bans. While most courts already ban recording devices, explicit bans on smart glasses are not yet common. The issue gained prominence during the recent Los Angeles trial that found Google and Meta liable for social media harm, where Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and colleagues wore their company's smart eyewear into court and were ordered to remove them. The ban comes as affordable smart glasses, like the Meta AI-integrated Ray-Ban and Oakley models selling for under $500, have finally begun catching on, with companies reportedly selling 7 million pairs in 2025.