{
  "id": 17120,
  "title": "DefCon security conference bans smart glasses with recording capabilities",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/31/defcon-security-conference-bans-smart-glasses-with-recording",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-07-31T15:57:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Computerworld",
    "slug": "computerworld",
    "url": "https://www.computerworld.com/article/4203983/defcon-security-conference-bans-smart-glasses-with-recording-capabilities-2.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The DefCon security conference has joined the ranks of other organizations in banning smart glasses with recording capabilities. Organizers have taken the step due to concerns over the inability to determine if such devices are recording, which they believe erodes trust and invades individuals' privacy. Visitors are instructed to bring non-smart glasses, as corrective lenses alone will not be considered an exception. This ban has been added to DefCon's already stringent photography rules, which also ban group shots and encourage the use of portrait mode or a low F-stop to ensure the foreground remains in focus, blurring background elements. The smart glasses industry is experiencing significant growth, with tech giants Google and Samsung recently unveiling Gemini-powered eyewear, and Apple planning to release its latest smart glasses generation in June. The increasing popularity of smart glasses has also prompted Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) to become increasingly cautious about their potential impact on organizations, raising questions about data security.",
  "summary": "It’s a sign of the times: Security conference DefCon has added smart glasses to its list of banned audio- or video-recording devices . The organizers have said that, with no consistent way to understand whether smart glasses are recording or not, they have taken the step to ban them in their entirety on the grounds that they erode trust and invade people’s privacy. Putting corrective lenses in…",
  "key_points": [
    "DefCon bans smart glasses with recording capabilities",
    "Concerns over recording devices eroding trust and privacy",
    "Visitors must bring non-smart glasses to conference"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Ars Technica",
        "title": "Defcon's new badge is a security key you can see inside",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/defcons-new-badge-is-a-security-key-you-can-see-inside",
        "published": "2026-08-01T10:05:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Techmeme",
        "title": "This year's Defcon badges include Baochip-1x, an open source chip whose security is verifiable and that can also be used as a hardware security token (Kim Zetter/Wired)",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/this-years-defcon-badges-include-baochip-1x-an-open-source-chip-whose",
        "published": "2026-08-01T12:35:35.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}