California's plan to separately regulate covert filming using smart glasses and other wearable devices has hit a snag.

On Oct. 1 (local time), IT outlet TechCrunch reported that California Governor Gavin Newsom (개빈 뉴섬) on Sept. 30 vetoed Senate Bill 1130 (SB 1130), which had passed the state legislature. The bill was introduced by state Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes (엘로이즈 고메즈 레예스).

SB 1130 would have banned recording audio or video with wearable recording devices without a person's explicit consent inside workplaces or in spaces where a person can reasonably expect privacy. It also covered turning off indicators that signal recording is underway and the manufacture and sale of technology designed to disable such indicators. Violators could face fines or criminal punishment.

Newsom said he agreed with the bill's intent but judged the provisions to be overly broad. He said the definition of wearable recording devices could cover not only smart glasses but also some smartwatches with recording functions and other wearable devices, creating confusion and unintended consequences. He added that illegal filming in places where privacy is protected and secret recording of communications without consent can already be punished under existing law.

The bill stemmed from concerns that the spread of smart glasses has made it harder for people nearby to notice they are being recorded. Reyes argued that as devices that are hard to distinguish from ordinary glasses spread, covert recording has become easier than with existing smartphones. The bill sought to regulate even turning off recording indicator lights or technologies that bypass them.

With the smart glasses market, including Meta, growing quickly, the veto has again highlighted debate over where to set regulatory standards between innovation in wearable technology and privacy protection. Newsom also acknowledged that legislative action is needed in cases of abuse of related technologies.