New York Becomes First US State to Ban Smart Glasses in All Courthouses

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

New York has become the first US state to implement a blanket ban on smart glasses across all its courthouses, marking a significant escalation in the regulation of wearable recording technology within the judicial system.

Starting July 20, all 1,240 state, county, city, town, and village courts in New York will prohibit smart glasses and any eyewear or headwear equipped with cameras and microphones from their premises. Signs announcing the new rule were posted last week at the Honorable James C. Torney III Criminal Courthouse in Syracuse, putting visitors, legal professionals, and staff on notice.

What the Ban Covers

The ban applies to all types of smart eyewear, including prescription smart glasses, and extends across every facility within the New York State Unified Court System — from courtrooms and offices to hallways and waiting areas. Visitors will be required to surrender their devices to uniformed court officers for safekeeping before being allowed entry. Even lawyers and court staff are not exempt.

The rule builds on existing New York court regulations that already forbid “taking photographs, films or videotapes, or audiotaping, broadcasting or telecasting” inside any courthouse, regardless of whether court is in session. Smart glasses present a unique enforcement challenge because they allow users to record discreetly — without the visible act of raising a phone or camera.

The Zuckerberg Incident That Raised Alarm

Concerns over smart glasses in court gained national attention in February, when Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared for a jury trial over social media addiction. Members of his team were observed wearing Meta Ray-Ban glasses while escorting him into the courthouse, prompting the presiding judge to issue a warning against recording courtroom proceedings with the devices. The judge expressed particular concern about jurors being inadvertently recorded and identified.

While it remains unclear whether any recordings were actually made, the incident highlighted the growing tension between wearable tech and courtroom security.

Can Smart Glasses Be Modified to Record Secretly?

Most commercial smart glasses, including Meta’s popular Ray-Ban lineup, include indicator lights that activate when the camera is recording. However, these safeguards can be bypassed. Third-party modification services offer to disable or remove the LEDs for a fee, effectively making the devices undetectable recording tools.

Meta has responded by deploying an update that disables the camera entirely if its system detects the capture LED has been physically tampered with or destroyed. Still, New York’s courthouse ban takes a zero-tolerance approach: modified or not, the devices simply won’t be allowed inside.

A Growing Trend in Smart Glasses Restrictions

While courts in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania had previously imposed local restrictions on smart glasses, New York is the first to enact a statewide blanket ban. The move could set a precedent for other states grappling with similar privacy and security concerns.

The trend extends beyond courtrooms. Earlier this year, Royal Caribbean banned smart glasses in sensitive areas including public restrooms, youth programs, medical facilities, and casinos. MSC Cruises implemented a partial ban on the devices last year, citing passenger privacy. Meanwhile, Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation that would add smart glasses to the list of prohibited devices for drivers as part of distracted driving prevention efforts.

What This Means for the Future

As smart glasses technology becomes more sophisticated and affordable, privacy and security experts expect more venues to follow New York’s lead. The ability to record high-quality video inconspicuously poses challenges for any setting where confidential proceedings, personal privacy, or security protocols are paramount.

For now, anyone planning to visit a New York courthouse should leave their smart glasses at home — or bring a regular pair of backup glasses for the duration of their visit.

FTC Settlement Brings Right-to-Repair to John Deere Farm Equipment

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0100

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it has reached a settlement with Deere & Company, the manufacturer of John Deere farm equipment, in a case that has become a landmark victory for the right-to-repair movement.

The regulator, joined by five states, sued Deere last year on allegations that the company engaged in unfair practices that limited farmers’ ability to repair their own equipment. Those policies effectively forced equipment owners and independent repair providers to pay higher prices for any needed services, locking them out of the diagnostic software and parts that should have been readily available.

What the Settlement Requires

Under the terms of the agreement, which spans 10 years, Deere must provide farmers and independent repair providers with the same equipment repair resources — including applicable software capabilities — that it currently provides to authorized John Deere dealers. This levels a playing field that critics long argued was tilted heavily in the company’s favor.

The company will also be subject to reporting and oversight requirements, and the initial decade-long agreement could be extended if Deere is found to have violated its terms.

A Win for Farmers

Advocacy groups were quick to praise the settlement. Nathan Proctor, Senior Right to Repair Campaign Director at US PIRG, issued a statement celebrating the outcome.

“We should be able to fix our own stuff. This settlement from the FTC gives farmers more and better options to repair their equipment. It is a win for farmers and all of us who want a more fixable world.”

Proctor added that the campaign’s goal from the outset was to ensure farmers and independent mechanics get everything they need to fix equipment, and pledged continued monitoring to make sure that goal becomes reality.

Why This Matters

The right-to-repair debate has traditionally centered on consumer electronics — smartphones, laptops, and gaming consoles. But the stakes are arguably higher in agriculture, where broken equipment during planting or harvest season can mean lost crops and significant financial damage. Farmers have long complained that modern tractors and combines are packed with proprietary software that requires dealer authorization to service, turning routine repairs into expensive, time-consuming ordeals.

Modern John Deere equipment relies heavily on embedded software for navigation, fuel management, yield monitoring, and operations. Without access to diagnostic tools and software updates, independent mechanics were effectively locked out of the repair market. The FTC’s action directly addresses that bottleneck.

Looking Ahead

The settlement sends a clear signal to the broader agricultural equipment industry that the regulatory environment is shifting. While the agreement applies specifically to Deere & Company, it establishes a framework that could influence future policy and enforcement actions against other manufacturers with similar restrictions.

For farmers, the immediate impact will depend on how smoothly Deere implements the required changes. The oversight provisions built into the settlement are designed to ensure compliance, but the proof will be in the execution — whether independent repair shops can actually get the parts, software, and documentation they need without friction.

As farm equipment becomes increasingly computerized, the battle over who gets to fix it will only intensify. Today’s settlement marks a significant milestone in that fight, but the long-term outcome will depend on continued vigilance from regulators, advocacy groups, and the farming community itself.

Tech Policy on Know the Tech