ICE bans agents' Meta glasses in privacy reminder

Some Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees appear to have needed a reminder that their favorite tech accessory isn't welcome at work. On Tuesday, ICE's acting director reportedly issued a memo reaffirming that agency policy bars employees from using personal body-worn cameras — a category that includes Meta's smart glasses — on the job.

What the memo says

David Venturella, ICE acting director, told employees in a Tuesday memo that "The use of Meta Glasses or similar devices could unintentionally capture, record or transmit sensitive information, potentially compromising privacy and legal protections," according to a New York Times report.

ICE policy [PDF] prohibits employees from using personal body-worn cameras in the workplace. As such, ICE employees' personal Meta glasses — along with similar wearable devices capable of recording audio or video — are banned from use on the job.

Nothing has changed, says ICE

An ICE spokesperson told The Register that ICE, on occasion, reminds its employees of existing policies like this one, and that the agency takes privacy and operational security seriously.

"This isn't news - nothing has changed," an ICE spokesperson said. "Personally owned body-worn cameras and unauthorized recording are prohibited, as they always have been."

The spokesperson declined to answer The Register's questions including what prompted the reminder and whether more ICE agents have been bringing their Meta glasses to work. Meta said it had no comment on the story.

"The use of Meta Glasses or similar devices could unintentionally capture, record or transmit sensitive information, potentially compromising privacy and legal protections."

— David Venturella, acting director, ICE, in a Tuesday memo, as reported by The New York Times

A growing ban list

While the ICE policy isn't new, the outright ban on Meta's so-called pervert glasses has been trending upward since DEF CON told hackers to leave any glasses equipped with recording capabilities at home. "Be sure to pack non-violating eyewear if you need them," DEF CON organizers told conference attendees ahead of the annual August event.

Several restaurants, pubs, and private clubs including Soho House and UK pub chain Wetherspoons have also prohibited — or strongly discouraged — patrons from wearing these types of smart glasses in their establishments, citing privacy concerns.

Apart from CCTV cameras, "the general code that applies in our pubs, and most pubs, is that you can't film customers or employees without their permission," a Wetherspoons spokesperson previously told The Register. "Meta glasses seem to breach this code, and common sense, by enabling surreptitious surveillance, so our instinct is to say turn off the cameras."

Some National Basketball Association arenas have also reportedly told fans to go put their glasses with recording capabilities inside their vehicles and not wear them at NBA games.

Watchdog scrutiny

Meanwhile, the UK's privacy watchdog in March began investigating Meta's smart glasses after reports that human contractors reviewing recordings from the devices were exposed to extremely private moments captured by unsuspecting users.

Why it matters for agents and the public

The reminder, though framed as routine, underscores that even within a federal law enforcement agency, the line between personal convenience and operational security is getting harder to draw. For agents, wearing Meta glasses on duty risks capturing sensitive information that could compromise investigations or legal protections. For the public, the incident is a reminder that such devices, while marketed as consumer gadgets, carry real privacy implications — especially in environments where recording is restricted. As smart glasses become more common, expect more institutions to clarify their rules, just as ICE has done.