Overview
- The provincial cabinet voted to ban devices with concealed cameras and covert recording features, naming items such as smart glasses, recording pens and watches as targets.
- Officials presented the move as a response to complaints about illegal surveillance, harassment and alleged blackmail using disguised recording gadgets.
- Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari and the cabinet under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced strict penalties for use, purchase and sale but gave no details on the penalties themselves.
- Key implementation elements—legal text, clear device definitions, enforcement procedures and a penalty schedule—have not yet been released and are the next steps to watch.
- The ban raises trade-offs for consumers and businesses because some wearable and AR devices have legitimate uses while carrying privacy risks if left undefined or poorly enforced.