Newsom vetoes California bill targeting secret wearable recordings

California rejects proposed wearable-recording restrictions

California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed Senate Bill 1130, a measure passed by the state legislature that would have made it unlawful to secretly record people using wearable recording devices. The proposal sought to restrict recording of people in public places without their explicit consent and could have made California the first US state to regulate the use of smart glasses in this way.

In a letter to lawmakers on Wednesday, Newsom said he declined to sign the bill because its definition of wearable recording devices was too broad or imprecise. He warned that the wording could create confusion and unintended consequences. The governor also said the proposal included protections that already exist in California law.

Had it become law, SB 1130 could have exposed individual violators to fines or prison time. Wearable-device makers that did not comply with the proposed rules could also have faced fines. The veto sends the measure back to lawmakers rather than establishing the new restrictions.

Pressure grows as camera-equipped wearables expand

The legislation was aimed at the rapid rollout of internet-connected devices with cameras and microphones, including glasses sold by Meta and Snap. California state senator Eloise Gómez Reyes, the bill’s author, said the proposal was intended to help the state respond to always-listening technology.

Meta sold more than 7 million wearable glasses last year. Other hardware products, including AI-powered pendants, have also reached the market with mixed reactions. Critics and consumers have used the term “pervert glasses” after reports of people being recorded and harassed.

Privacy concerns extend beyond glasses. Apple said last month that its latest Apple Watch software will add an always-listening capability that lets users replay a transcript of the previous 15 seconds and recap or summarize conversations from the day.

Regulatory uncertainty remains a product and deployment issue

The veto does not remove the privacy debate around wearable cameras and microphones. It instead leaves California without the specific framework proposed in SB 1130, while existing state protections remain in force. The concerns raised by Meta AI glasses privacy concerns remain relevant as manufacturers add recording features and users encounter them in shared spaces.

For businesses evaluating smart glasses, pendants or similar devices, the practical implication is to assess existing privacy rules, workplace policies, consent processes and clear user notice before deployment, rather than assuming a dedicated California wearable law will define every obligation.