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Golf fans are calling for smart glasses to be banned at the Masters after it emerged that some patrons used the devices to record footage despite strict rules prohibiting cameras and electronic equipment.
Rory McIlroy won this year’s tournament, which ran from April 9 to April 12 at Augusta National Golf Club in the U.S. The event enforces a longstanding ban on cell phones and cameras during competition days.
While cameras are permitted during practice rounds, electronic devices are prohibited once the tournament begins. According to the official Master’s guide for patrons, “laptops, tablets, beepers, drones and other electronics, including devices capable of transmitting photo/video, are prohibited.”
However, a report by Golf Monthly found that some attendees appeared to be circumventing these rules by wearing Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Because the devices are not specifically named in the policy, some patrons have attempted to use them without being detected. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are designed to resemble regular eyewear and can be worn discreetly, for example, under a cap, while recording video from the wearer’s perspective.
Golf Monthly reports that there is significant evidence online supporting these claims, including multiple videos of the 2026 Masters allegedly recorded using the glasses. Some fans responding to the clips on social media have suggested that the devices are likely to be banned in the future.
In response to the clips, golf reporter Daniel Rapaport says: “Augusta’s no-phones rule needs to be updated to no phones or wearable technology. No Meta glasses, no Apple watches. The mystique of the Masters must be protected and it’s slipping.”
Concerns about wearable technology and covert recording are not limited to golf, and similar issues have prompted action in other settings. In the United States, institutions have introduced restrictions in response to the growing use of such devices. The College Board has banned smart glasses for SAT testing. The U.S. Air Force also recently banned personnel from wearing smart glasseswith “photo, video, or artificial intelligence capabilities” while in uniform. Cruise liner company Royal Caribbean also recently prohibited the glasses from certain parts of its ships. Despite these rules, enforcement remains difficult because many devices have minimal visible features, such as a small display or a blinking red light.
PetaPixel recently reported on an app called Nearby Glasses, which can detect if someone nearby is wearing a pair of Meta Ray-Bans or another brand of smart glasses. The app uses Bluetooth to look for tiny amounts of data called “advertising frames” that the devices emit as part of their normal operation.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
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