Basement NYC Bans Smart Glasses Over Privacy Concerns

Zero-Tolerance Policy for Wearable Cameras

Basement, a nightclub from the proprietors of the Knockdown Center in Queens, has announced smart glasses will no longer be welcome on its premises, extending a long-standing no-photo and no-video policy to cover the emerging category of wearable cameras.

The club's statement makes clear the stakes: anyone bringing smart glasses into the venue, whether wearing them or carrying them in a bag, will be asked to leave and may be permanently banned.

Covert Recording and Safety Concerns

Calls to ban the eyewear in nightlife venues had been growing due to a disturbing trend of men deliberately disabling LED recording indicators to covertly record women without their knowledge. The devices feature an inward-facing notification LED and a front-facing capture LED that allows people to know the user is recording, but determined individuals have been actively subverting that safeguard.

Devices capable of recording discreetly, Basement's owners said, could not be reconciled with their goal to protect the privacy, safety and freedom of those on its dancefloor.

Meta Dominates Smart Glasses Market

Basement's move places the club among a small but growing number of nightlife venues confronting the spread of camera-equipped eyewear as privacy concerns mount. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, recently revealed plans to implement AI facial recognition features to its smart glasses. The company accounted for approximately 84% of global smart glasses shipments in the first half of 2026, according to technology market research firm Counterpoint Research.

Options are currently limited for consumers seeking protection from the tech, according to Niels Provos, an electronic music producer and cybersecurity expert who worked for 15 years as a Distinguished Engineer on security for Google and over three years as Stripe's Head of Security. Practically speaking, there is not much individuals can do, Provos noted in March.

The ban takes effect immediately at the Queens venue.