His Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), which oversees criminal, civil and family courts in England and Wales, has announced that Meta smart glasses are prohibited in its buildings and will be confiscated from anyone who attempts to bring them in, according to a spokesperson who cited existing rules against capturing images or video within courts and tribunals.
Courts in England and Wales ban Meta smart glasses from judicial buildings
His Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), which oversees criminal, civil and family courts in England and Wales, has announced that Meta smart glasses are prohibited in its buildings and will be confiscated from anyone who attempts to bring them in, according to a spokesperson who cited existing rules against capturing images or video within courts and tribunals.
The HMCTS spokesperson stated that glasses would be returned to owners upon leaving the building. Smartphones are permitted on the condition they are not used to record court procedures. Taking images or video in UK court buildings without official permission can be prosecuted as contempt of court.
New York's court system announced a comparable ban the previous month, stating that no individual possessing smart glasses would be permitted to enter a unified court system facility without vouchering the devices with uniformed personnel.
Earlier in the year, a claimant identified as Laimonas Jakstys was instructed by Mrs Justice Agnello to remove smart glasses during a high court case concerning the directorship of a property company. The judge said Jakstys had been 'assisted or coached in his replies to questions put to him during cross examination.' Jakstys denied using the glasses to receive answers and denied they were connected to his phone.
In February, members of the security team for Meta's chief executive were seen wearing Meta glasses during a trial in California relating to social media addiction. The presiding judge threatened those individuals with contempt of court if they had recorded any proceedings.
Meta glasses, which are capable of recording video footage while being worn, sold approximately seven million units last year at prices ranging between £269 and £469. A number of restaurants, theatres and pubs in the UK, including Wetherspoons, have also banned the glasses over privacy concerns.
HMCTS said it does not hold figures on the number of incidents involving smart glasses being used or brought into courts. Meta was approached for comment.
- When exactly HMCTS implemented or formally communicated the ban
- Whether HMCTS issued a written policy document or only communicated the ban verbally to the Guardian
- The total number of venues in the UK that have banned Meta glasses
- Whether any individual has yet had glasses confiscated under this policy
- The outcome of the Jakstys case
- The outcome of the California contempt-of-court threat against Meta security personnel
- Meta's position or response to the bans
Read the original at The Guardian