It might be harder to hide behind smart glasses when recording in Pennsylvania
Smart glasses could face new legal requirements in Pennsylvania as lawmakers move to make it a legal requirement to visibly indicate when a user is recording.
Man tries on China-made AR smart glasses. VCG/VCG via Getty Images.
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Smart glasses could face new legal requirements in Pennsylvania as lawmakers move to make it a legal requirement to visibly indicate when a user is recording.
- Pennsylvania lawmakers are proposing a bill that would require smart glasses to clearly show when they are recording audio or video.
- The goal is to improve transparency and privacy, making it harder for users to secretly record people in public or private spaces.
- The debate comes as smart glasses like Meta’s Ray-Ban devices go mainstream, offering built-in cameras, AI features, and recording tools.
- Supporters say a legal standard would close loopholes, ensuring all manufacturers include visible recording indicators that cannot be easily disabled.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-Montgomery), the majority chair of the House Communications and Technology Committee, said he introduced House Bill 2603, which would require smart glasses used in Pennsylvania to visually indicate when they are recording video or audio.
"The same features that make these devices appealing – the ability to communicate, capture audio and video, and share information instantly – can also be exploited by bad actors to secretly record individuals; help facilitate stalking, harassment, or intimidation; or potentially employ real-time facial recognition technology without a person’s knowledge or consent," the lawmaker explained.
The proposal comes as smart glasses are increasingly hitting the mainstream, with devices such as Meta's Ray-Ban glasses allowing users to take photos, record videos, and interact with AI.
Cybernews has previously reported that the technology needed to recognize people through Meta’s smart glasses is already sitting on millions of phones. France even called smart glasses a “widespread surveillance” threat.
Many of today's leading smart glasses already include recording indicators. Ray-Ban Meta glasses, for example, feature a light on the front of the device that turns on when photos or videos are being captured.
However, supporters of the bill argue that making such indicators a legal requirement would ensure all manufacturers follow the same standard and make it harder for users to disable or bypass the feature.
However, Ray-Ban Meta glasses, for example, already have this type of indicator, as a light on the front of the glasses turns on when photos or videos are being taken. What's more, this indicator can't be turned off, at least not by a regular user without specific skills.
Apparently, there is already a market for these types of services. For example, in the US, people are being paid to remove the LED indicator with a drill. Others use special stickers.
"Nothing a small dot of black paint wouldn't fix. I've kept the red lights either disabled or covered with a small piece of electrical tape for years on all my video cameras," one Facebook commenter said in a thread about Ciresi's bill.
However, another commenter pointed out that "the State basically records you as soon as you walk out the door," and added that people can also be recorded via their smartphones.
"Perhaps the bigger picture needs to be considered...," the commenter concluded.
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