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California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 1130 on September 30, 2026, so the proposed smart-glasses privacy rules did not become law. The bill would have added device-specific limits on recording people in certain private areas of businesses and imposed indicator requirements on wearable recording devices. Newsom said its definitions were too broad or imprecise and that existing California law already addresses some unlawful recording.
What did Newsom veto?
SB 1130, introduced as the Wearable Device Privacy Protection Act, proposed new rules for wearable recording devices, including smart glasses. Newsom vetoed it on September 30, 2026. The proposal therefore has no force as California law. The Associated Press reported the veto and stakeholder responses on October 1; the Governor’s veto message gives his stated reasons.
What would SB 1130 have changed?
The amended bill text proposed rules aimed at recording in particular settings and at making recording indicators harder to conceal. It was not a blanket ban on smart glasses or all recording.
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| Issue | What SB 1130 proposed |
|---|---|
| Recording at a business | Bar a person from using a wearable recording device to capture another person’s sound or video in an area within a place of business where that person had a reasonable expectation of privacy, unless the operator obtained that person’s explicit consent. The bill defined a place of business to include a physical office or retail establishment where the public receives goods or services. |
| Disabling an indicator | Prohibit a person from disabling a wearable device’s recording indicator. |
| Device indicators | Starting January 1, 2028, bar manufacturing, selling, delivering, holding, or offering for sale in California a wearable recording device without a sufficiently prominent light, sound, or other indicator. |
| Penalties | Propose civil penalties of up to $2,500 for specified knowing commercial violations, and a Penal Code offense punishable by up to a $1,500 fine or one year in county jail, or both. These were proposed penalties, not penalties created by an enacted SB 1130. |
The bill included exclusions and exceptions, among them certain official-duty body cameras, employer-provided headsets and radios used for ordinary business duties, traditional wireless headphones and earphones, and assistive devices used for disability-related needs. Its scope was defined by the bill’s text, not simply by whether a product looked like glasses.
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Why did Newsom veto the bill?
Newsom’s veto message said the bill defined terms “too broadly or imprecisely.” He warned that the definition of a wearable recording device could reach some smartwatches and other recording-capable wearables commonly used in public. He also argued that existing California law already criminalizes recording a person in an area where the occupant has a reasonable expectation of privacy and recording confidential communications without consent. The official veto letter is the primary source for his rationale.
The veto was not a finding that privacy concerns around wearable cameras are imaginary. The AP reported that the Governor’s message acknowledged disturbing behavior involving the technology. State Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes, the bill’s author, argued that the measure would help California respond to the rapid growth of smart glasses. She said, “Whatever we can do to protect an individual’s right to privacy, we have to.”
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What California law applies after the veto?
The veto left existing California recording restrictions in place but did not add SB 1130’s wearable-specific consent, indicator, or penalty provisions. The bill digest describes existing restrictions on recording confidential communications without the consent of all parties; Newsom’s message also points to existing restrictions involving private spaces. Which rule applies depends on the circumstances and the elements of the relevant law. It is not accurate to say that every recording without consent is illegal throughout California.
For a particular incident, details such as whether the recording captured audio or video, whether a communication was confidential, and whether the location carried a reasonable expectation of privacy can matter. This summary is not legal advice.
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How supporters and critics saw the proposal
The disagreement was about coverage, notice and consent, enforcement, and whether a new device-specific law was needed alongside existing statutes.
- Supporters: Gómez Reyes emphasized the need to protect privacy. Consumer Reports technology policy director Justin Brookman argued that it can be harder to tell when smart glasses are recording than when someone uses a phone or camera.
- Critics: TechNet Executive Director Robert Boykin said, “California already has extensive laws governing unlawful recording, and as currently written, SB 1130 is not the right approach to addressing these concerns.” Newsom’s concern about imprecise definitions reflected a related worry about the proposal reaching devices used in public.
- Device maker: A Meta spokesperson said, “We’re still in the early days of building this technology and we’re committed to continuing prioritizing privacy as we build.” The AP also reported that Meta highlighted an initiative providing glasses to blinded veterans to help read documents and identify objects.
These are attributed positions, not proof that the bill would have worked as intended or that existing law resolves every privacy concern. The AP reported that more than 7 million AI-powered Meta Ray-Ban devices were sold in 2025; that figure is attributed to AP, whose report did not identify the underlying original publisher.
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