Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg appeared in court over a social media addiction lawsuit, and someone from his entourage sat in the gallery wearing Meta Glasses. The judge wasn't having it, issuing a contempt of court warning that forced the glasses off in a hurry. That awkward moment has now become the perfect footnote to a sweeping ban on Meta Glasses across the entire court system of England and Wales.
According to The Guardian, His Majesty's Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), which oversees all criminal, civil, and family courts in England and Wales, has officially announced that anyone bringing Meta Glasses into a court building will have them confiscated on sight, returned only upon leaving. The court's spokesperson didn't mince words: "There are clear restrictions on photography and filming in courts and tribunals, which is why the use of Meta glasses is not permitted."
The issue isn't the glasses themselves — it's how well they hide the camera. Filming has always been banned in courtrooms, but ordinary people trying to secretly record would have to raise a phone and give themselves away. Meta Glasses, on the other hand, have a lens built right into the frame, meaning someone could theoretically sit in the gallery and record an entire proceeding without anyone noticing. That's exactly why HMCTS gives smartphones a pass — as long as you're not filming, you can bring one in — while showing zero tolerance for smart glasses. After all, nobody's sneakily gluing a phone to their face to shoot footage.
A London courthouse ran into trouble earlier this year too, though the issue wasn't the camera this time. A man was accused of using the built-in speaker on his smart glasses to connect to a nearby phone during cross-examination, allegedly receiving "assistance or coaching" on his answers — a claim he denies. The case shows that smart glasses can cause courtroom headaches beyond just covert filming.
Similar alarm bells are ringing on the other side of the Atlantic. New York State recently announced its own courtroom ban on smart glasses, citing the same concern over secret recording. Back in the UK, Meta Glasses — dubbed "pervert glasses" by some — have already been turned away by the Wetherspoons pub chain, numerous upscale restaurants, members-only clubs, theaters, music venues, and comic conventions.
A University of Sydney study offers some hard numbers to back up the concern: researchers found hundreds of videos on Instagram posted by male "pickup artist" content creators, who filmed women without their knowledge and posted the footage directly. About 60% of the clips were classified as potentially harassing, with many victims having their identities exposed and publicized.
Facing this wave of pushback, Meta's response has been silence. A company spokesperson told The Guardian they had no comment on the court ban. Per reports, Meta Glasses sold roughly seven million units in 2025.
