Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, has vetoed a bill that would have prohibited people from secretly recording others using smart glasses in certain spaces, including changing rooms and doctors' offices. SB-1130 would have forced manufacturers of wearables to include a recording indicator and banned tech designed to mask recording lights or sounds.
Newsom wrote that the bill's language was too broad, noting that the definition of 'wearable recording device' could include smartwatches or other worn devices, leading to confusion and unintended consequences. He pointed out that California already bans secret recordings in areas with a reasonable expectation of privacy and has a two-party consent law.
Tech Net, an advocacy group representing notable tech companies, opposed the law. Had it passed, violators would have faced fines up to $1,500 and/or prison, while companies making wearables without indicators or masking tech would have faced fines up to $2,500 per violation.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing