Jun 11, 2026
As smart glasses grow in popularity, some states are beginning to crack down on their use, citing privacy concerns.
Lawmakers in Pennsylvania have introduced a bill that would require any pair of smart glasses that is “manufactured, sold and used” in the state to have some sort of visual indicator showing that video or audio are being captured.
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Many smart glasses already have that, most notably the Meta Ray-Ban line, but Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Ciresi, who introduced the bill, wants to ensure that companies aren’t the ones deciding whether to continue including this feature.
“My legislation would be put under our current wiretapping laws and have similar requirements in line with our current rules about recording other people,” he said in a statement. “This bill does not seek to create overly burdensome restrictions that make using smart glasses a liability risk. Instead, it expands what we already have on the books to make sure new technology is not a tool to circumvent our privacy laws.”
Law would criminalize workarounds, teach users about privacy
Beyond requiring the glasses to have some sort of indicator, the bill would require retailers to ensure consumers are aware of the state’s recording laws.
“Any retailer that sells a wearable recording device in this Commonwealth must provide customers with a written notice informing the customer of requirements,” it reads. “The notice shall be separate from other information provided to customers and shall be made clear and conspicuous for the customer.”
And wearers that are thinking about using online workarounds to turn off indicator lights and other indicators to covertly record would be prohibited from doing so. That would make various online services offering to cheaply modify smart glasses so they do not light up while recording illegal as well.
“An individual in this Commonwealth shall not use any technology or other means to permanently or temporarily disable or obstruct a visual indicator,” the bill reads.
The bill has been referred to the House Communications & Technology committee for discussion and exploration. Ciresi is chair of that committee.
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‘Unprecedented’ demand pushes back international launch
Smart glasses have been a fast-growing field for Meta, and competitors have taken note. Sales of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which were first released with great fanfare from CEO Mark Zuckerberg in late 2023, tripled from 2024 to 2025, with more than seven million pairs sold, according to EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban. They were a key contributor to the company’s year-over-year sales increases. Meta and EssilorLuxottica have since expanded the partnership, announcing a line of Oakley Meta smart glasses.
Meta in January said it would push back the international launch of the glasses, due to “unprecedented” demand in the U.S. Those were initially supposed to go on sale overseas in early 2026.
According to Bloomberg, Meta and EssilorLuxottica have reportedly discussed doubling production of the glasses to at least 20 million by the end of this year to meet growing demand. Samsung, meanwhile, has introduced its own line of smart glasses, and Apple is reportedly considering a pair of its own, though it has not yet made any announcements. Those are expected, at this point, to come next year, according to reporting in CNET.
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Chris Morris is a veteran journalist with more than 35 years of experience at many of the internet's biggest news outlets. In addition to his activities as a writer, reporter and editor, Chris is also a frequent panel moderator and speaker at major conferences, including CES and South by Southwest.
