Smart glasses ban at The Basement in New York

Smart glasses ban at The Basement in New York is part of an expanded no-photo-no-video policy at the club. The Basement is located under the Knockdown Center in Maspeth, Queens, and has been considered one of the most important techno venues in the USA since its opening in 2019. The club has two floors, a capacity of about 500 people, and has hosted DJs including Rebekah, DVS1, Function, and Fiedel. The article reporting the policy appeared on Groove on 2026-09-03.

The club’s expanded No-Photo-No-Video policy specifically prohibits wearing data glasses with a recording function and carrying them in pockets; violators will be expelled and in some cases permanently banned. The ban extends to devices such as Meta-Ray-Bans, which the club said enable discreet filming and are incompatible with protecting patron privacy. Those developments have prompted discussion in Germany, where users have noted that the red LED indicating recording can often be disabled, and the United Kingdom has been debating so-called ‘pervert glasses’ with cinemas there banning their use.

The Basement in New York has expanded its No-Photo-No-Video policy to include smart glasses and other recording eyewear. Under the policy, wearing data glasses that have a recording function, or even carrying such devices in a pocket, will result in expulsion from the club and, in some cases, a permanent ban. The expansion specifically cites devices such as Meta‑Ray‑Bans as examples because they can enable discreet filming. The club stated that discreet filming by such devices is incompatible with protecting patron privacy.

The development has prompted discussion internationally, including in Germany where observers noted that the red LED which indicates recording can often be disabled. In the United Kingdom there has been debate over so‑called “pervert glasses”, and cinemas in the UK have banned their use. The article reporting the policy appeared on Groove and was published on 2026-09-03.

The Basement is located under the Knockdown Center in Maspeth, Queens, and has been considered one of the most important techno venues in the USA since its opening in 2019.

The Basement is situated beneath the Knockdown Center in Maspeth, Queens, occupying a two-floor space that accommodates approximately 500 people. The venue opened in 2019 and was established as a dedicated techno club within the Knockdown Center complex. The club’s physical layout includes distinct levels that are used for programming and dancefloor space, and its size supports mid-scale events and DJ performances.

Since its opening, The Basement has been regarded as one of the most important techno venues in the United States. The club has hosted notable DJs including Rebekah, DVS1, Function, and Fiedel, who have performed across its two floors and contributed to the venue’s profile within the techno scene. The combination of location, capacity, and booked artists has underpinned the club’s reputation in the American techno community.

The debate over smart glasses and recording eyewear has crossed national borders, with responses and controversies reported in multiple countries. In Germany, the topic has attracted attention, including observations that the red LED intended to indicate recording can often be disabled. In the United Kingdom, there has been public debate over so‑called “pervert glasses,” and cinemas in the UK have implemented bans on their use. These developments have been discussed alongside venue-level measures such as The Basement’s policy expansion.

Concerns driving these debates include devices that enable discreet filming and the implications for privacy protection, as exemplified by references to products like Meta‑Ray‑Bans. Discussions in different jurisdictions have addressed both technological features of recording eyewear and the appropriateness of bans in public entertainment spaces. The available sources do not provide this information.

The article includes outbound links to Reddit, taz.de, The Guardian, and the Knockdown Center as part of its reporting on The Basement’s policy. The primary publication for the report is Groove, and the article’s publish date is 2026-09-03.

These external references are mentioned alongside the club’s statement and related commentary within the piece.

The outbound links cited in the article cover social, national, and institutional outlets, as indicated by the inclusion of Reddit, the German outlet taz.de, The Guardian, and the Knockdown Center. The provided content identifies those specific external references but does not list full URLs or detailed link targets in the summarized facts. The available sources do not provide this information.

The Basement has expanded its No-Photo-No-Video policy to prohibit smart glasses and other recording eyewear, stating that wearing data glasses with a recording function or even carrying them in a pocket will result in expulsion and in some cases a permanent ban.

The club singled out devices such as Meta‑Ray‑Bans as examples because they enable discreet filming, and it framed the prohibition as necessary for protecting patron privacy within the venue.

Those enforcement measures form part of the club’s stated effort to maintain privacy on the dancefloor amid wider international debate over recording eyewear, a debate that has included reports from Germany about disabled recording indicator LEDs and actions in the United Kingdom regarding so‑called ‘pervert glasses’.

The available sources provide these policy details and surrounding reactions but do not supply additional information beyond the reported enforcement steps and international commentary.