California Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Smart Glass Recording
California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have penalized the use of smart glasses for secretly recording people in private spaces and mandated indicators on such devices to show when recording is active. Newsom cited the bill's overly…
Los Angeles, CA, October 1, 2026 —
California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a legislative bill aimed at regulating the use of smart glasses for recording, citing concerns over its scope. The proposed legislation sought to penalize individuals for using smart glasses to secretly record people in private spaces. Additionally, it would have required these devices to feature indicators signaling when recording is actively taking place.
Governor Newsom stated that his decision to veto the bill was based on its definition of wearable recording devices. According to the veto message, the bill’s definition was deemed overly broad, which could lead to unintended consequences or overreach. The exact specifics of this broad definition were not elaborated upon in the provided information.
The bill, which had passed through the legislature, intended to address privacy concerns arising from the increasing prevalence of wearable technology capable of capturing audio and video. Proponents argued that such measures were necessary to protect individuals’ privacy from surreptitious recording. However, the governor’s veto indicates a legislative assessment that the proposed solution was not sufficiently tailored or might have overstepped intended boundaries.
The contractor or specific entity that drafted the bill was not detailed. Similarly, the specific legislative bill number and the date of its passage through the legislature were not provided. The outcome of the veto means that no new state-level penalties or mandatory recording indicators for smart glasses, as defined by the vetoed bill, will be enacted at this time. Further legislative efforts on this topic may follow, potentially with revised definitions or scopes to address the governor’s concerns. The implications for privacy and technology regulation in California remain unchanged by this specific veto action.
Story summarized from the original created by Sophie Austin | Associated Press on laist.com, see more information here.
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