Newsom vetoes bill targeting smart glasses privacy violations
California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have banned using smart glasses and other wearables to secretly record people in private spaces like changing rooms. He said the bill's language was too broad.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has rejected SB-1130, a bill aimed at curbing the use of smart glasses and similar wearable devices for covert recording of other people.
The proposed law would have made it illegal to use such devices to capture video or audio of someone in locations where a reasonable expectation of privacy exists, including changing rooms and doctors' offices. It also would have required manufacturers to build in indicators showing when a device is recording — a feature many wearables already include — and would have banned the sale of technology designed to hide or mute such indicators.
Governor's reasoning
In a letter to the state Senate, Newsom argued that the bill's wording was overly broad. He pointed out that its definition of a "wearable recording device" could sweep in common smartwatches and other widely used devices capable of recording, potentially creating confusion and unintended legal consequences.
The governor noted that California law already prohibits using electronic devices to record people in places where they expect privacy. The state also enforces two-party consent rules for recording conversations, including phone calls.
TechNet, an advocacy group representing a number of major technology companies, had opposed the bill. Had it passed, individuals found guilty of secretly recording others could have faced fines of up to $1,500 and potential jail time, while companies selling wearables without recording indicators — or selling tools to defeat such indicators — could have faced fines of up to $2,500 per violation.
