{"id":322892,"date":"2026-08-17T04:58:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T04:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/322892\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T04:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T04:58:10","slug":"new-york-state-smart-glasses-ban-in-all-courts-spotlights-growing-privacy-concerns-the-vision-councils-stevens-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/322892\/","title":{"rendered":"New York State Smart Glasses Ban in All Courts Spotlights Growing Privacy Concerns, The Vision Council’s Stevens Says"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n \"Gavel
\nNEW YORK\u2014Last month, New York State banned all \u201csmart glasses\u201d from its Unified Court System (UCS), which covers all courts within the state, and although New York was the first state to issue such a wide-sweeping ban, as reported<\/a> in VMAIL, many courts and districts in other states have issued their own, smaller prohibitions. New York\u2019s memorandum banning smart eyewear defined it as \u201ceyewear or headwear containing a camera, microphone, computer or other technology that permit the user to record video or audio.\u201d The state also bans filming, audio recording, broadcasting and telecasting in courts, but does not ban smartphones.<\/p>\n

To understand more about how New York\u2019s ban, and others like it that may follow, could impact the optical industry, VMAIL spoke with Kris Stevens, VP of research at The Vision Council. In general, Stevens said consumer awareness of smart eyewear has had a sharp climb since 2023. He pointed to The Vision Council\u2019s Focused inSights 2025: Smart Eyewear report<\/a>, which indicated 58 percent of consumers reported knowing exactly what smart eyewear is or have a general sense of it; 16 percent reported buying smart eyewear. \u201cHowever, the percentage of people wearing smart eyewear in everyday situations is lower,\u201d Stevens said.\n<\/p>\n

As noted in last month\u2019s VMAIL, no court that bans smart eyewear has made an exception for smart eyewear that includes the wearer\u2019s prescription lenses, but, according to the research, consumers may not be using their smart eyewear as everyday frames, or seeing them as necessities. \u201cOur findings from the same 2025 report found that curiosity, perceived usefulness, and general appeal as being \u2018fun to use\u2019 are the top motivators for smart eyewear purchases, while \u2018no clear need or purpose\u2019 and cost are the biggest deterrents,\u201d Stevens explained. This also raises a question for marketing professionals, who, Stevens observed, \u201cmay increasingly need to answer the \u2018why\u2019 for consumers directly, as the category and its use cases become clearer.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Kris\u00a0Kris Stevens.
\nThis sentiment is in contrast to smartphones, still allowed in New York courtrooms, which have been accepted as an everyday necessity by most. Smart eyewear has not yet reached the ubiquity and acceptance of smartphones. <\/p>\n

Still, the rapid growth in awareness of smart eyewear \u201cnaturally brings new questions about where and how the technology fits into public places like courthouses, workplaces, and schools, and we expect these conversations to continue as the market matures,\u201d said Stevens. He noted that The Vision Council is continuing to track the sentiment around smart eyewear, \u201cwhich will be crucial as smart eyewear continues to move from niche product to a more mainstream eyewear category.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

For now, Stevens said, \u201cPrivacy questions are a natural part of the conversation around any new technology, particularly one that’s worn and interacts with the world around the user.\u201d As court systems, public spaces and the general population continues to evolve its feelings toward smart eyewear, the list of places it is deemed acceptable may grow. \u201cAs with past innovations, we expect a lot of continued dialogue among manufacturers, regulators and consumers as norms and legal frameworks catch up to the technology,\u201d Stevens concluded.
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