Google Glass has been completely banned from movie theaters

Google Glass is often viewed with disdain in public spaces, and now that includes the cinema. The Motion Picture Association of America and the National Association of Theater Owners have decided to ban the device and its ilk from movie theaters nationwide. The pair have instigated a “zero-tolerance” rule that bans “wearable recording devices.” In truth, they don’t get much more specific than that, but it clearly includes Google’s Glass and could, perhaps, at a stretch even mean that smartwatches with a camera are banned, too.

Many individual American movie theaters are already hostile to guests who use wearables like Google Glass, and they’ve now made that opposition official on a national level. Both the Motion Picture Association of America and the National Association of Theater Owners have instituted a “zero-tolerance” rule that bans recording-capable wearables during showings. While the policy doesn’t say exactly what qualifies, it’s clearly targeted at Glass and other headgear. It could technically include camera-equipped smartwatches like the Gear 2, although you probably won’t have to worry about stowing your timepiece. Theater staff won’t invoke the police unless they believe you’re trying to pirate movie, so you probably won’t face jail time simply because you’re used to wearing a headset and forgot to take yours off.