Newsom Vetoes California Smart Glasses Privacy Bill
Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB-1130, which would have banned secret recordings with smart glasses and required recording indicators on wearables.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed SB-1130, a bill that would have prohibited secretly recording people with smart glasses in private areas of businesses such as changing rooms and doctors' offices. The bill also would have required wearable manufacturers to include an indicator that is on when the device records video or audio, and banned the sale of tech designed to mask a recording light or sound.
In a letter to the State Senate, Newsom said the bill's language was too broad, citing its definition of "wearable recording device" as potentially covering smartwatches and other worn devices.
TechNet, an advocacy group representing tech companies, opposed the law. The veto was reported by Engadget.
Background
California already bans using an electronic device to record others in areas where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. The state also has a two-party consent law requiring both participants of a conversation to agree to be recorded.
Had the bill come into effect, violators would have faced fines of up to $1,500 and/or prison, and companies would have faced fines of up to $2,500 per violation.
Quick answers
What was SB-1130?
A California bill that would have prohibited secretly recording people with smart glasses in private areas of businesses such as changing rooms and doctors' offices, required recording indicators on wearables, and banned tech designed to mask a recording light or sound.
Why did Newsom veto SB-1130?
He said the bill's language was too broad, citing its definition of "wearable recording device" as potentially covering smartwatches and other worn devices.
What penalties would SB-1130 have imposed?
Violators would have faced fines of up to $1,500 and/or prison, and companies would have faced fines of up to $2,500 per violation.