The Punjab government has banned smart glasses, pens, watches and other everyday items fitted with hidden cameras or recording equipment, citing privacy concerns. The Punjab Home Department announced the decision on Monday, 19 October, saying the Punjab hidden camera ban is meant to protect citizens' privacy and personal information, with particular emphasis on women and children.
The formal notification that will set out the rules is due within a few days, so the enforcement details are still to come. The decision comes while the Lahore High Court (LHC) hears a petition about the sale of smart glasses, which has been brought before the court as a privacy and security issue.
What the Punjab hidden camera ban covers
Officials named smart glasses, pens, watches and eyeglasses as examples, and the rule extends to any other device with a hidden camera or concealed recording equipment. The Home Department said it had received serious complaints of illegal surveillance, harassment and blackmail carried out through such devices. It said criminals were using hidden recording devices for these purposes.
The department warned that the use, purchase and sale of spying objects and covert electronic devices will invite strict legal action, and that illegal use could bring severe penalties. The exact penalties have not yet been set out. Officials said they announced the decision early so that people would have time to dispose of prohibited items.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said recording and releasing content at will had become a habit, and asked who had given people the authority to do so.
Smart glasses and the court case
The Lahore High Court is hearing a public interest petition, a case brought by a citizen on a matter of wider public concern. It challenges the unregulated import and sale of smart glasses equipped with cameras and microphones, and it raises concerns about privacy, personal dignity and national security.
The petitioner's counsel told the court that Meta's AI-powered smart glasses are still widely available online and in local Lahore shops, although Pakistan is not officially listed as a market for the product. The petitioner has argued that commercial interests and user convenience should not outweigh the constitutional rights of people who may be recorded without their knowledge.
Last week the court asked the government whether it knew smart glasses were being sold in shops and what steps it had taken. No court decision on the petition has been reported so far.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Last month: the Lahore High Court was hearing a citizen's petition against smart glasses.
- Last week: the court asked the government whether it knew smart glasses were sold in shops, and what steps it had taken.
- Monday, 19 October: the Punjab Home Department announced the ban on hidden-camera devices.
- Within a few days: a formal notification is due, according to Punjab Home Secretary Ahmad Javed Qazi.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Punjab government ne smart glasses, pens, watches aur chupe camera wali doosri cheezon par pabandi lagane ka faisla kiya hai. Home Department ke mutabiq maqsad logon ki privacy aur personal maloomat ko bachana hai, khaas tor par khawateen aur bachon ka. Kisi bhi cheez ko chupke record karne, tang karne ya blackmail karne ke liye istemal karne par sakht qanooni karwai hogi. Formal notification kuch dinon mein aane wala hai, is liye tafseelat ka intezar karein aur aisi cheezon ke baray mein savdhan rahein.
