California governor vetoes bill targeting secret recordings with smart glasses

California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed legislation that would have penalised people for secretly recording others with smart glasses in places such as changing rooms and doctors’ offices. The bill would also have required smart-glasses manufacturers and other wearable-device companies to include a visible light or another signal showing when recording was taking place from 2028. It would have prohibited technology designed to conceal a recording indicator.

Newsom said the definition of a wearable recording device was too broad. He noted that California already prohibits recording people without consent in spaces generally considered private. State Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes, who introduced the bill, said the measure would have helped the state respond to the rapid growth of the technology.

A violation could have resulted in prison time or fines of up to $1,500, while companies with non-compliant devices could have faced fines of up to $2,500. TechNet, whose members include Meta, Google and Amazon, opposed the proposal, saying existing recording laws were extensive and the measure was not the right approach. Meta said its smart glasses could provide benefits, including helping blinded veterans read documents and identify objects.

Supporters argued that recording is less obvious with smart glasses than with phones or cameras. California is among about a dozen states requiring both parties’ consent for recording conversations. Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, launched in 2021, sold more than seven million AI-powered devices last year, according to the supplied report.