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.
