Mark Zuckerberg appeared in person at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday morning, marking a pivotal moment in a high-stakes trial accusing major social media companies of designing addictive platforms that harm young users. As he entered the courthouse wearing a navy blue suit and tie, one detail stood out: flanking him on either side were two individuals, including longtime executive assistant Andrea Besmehn and an unidentified man, both wearing Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses. The glasses, a product of Meta’s collaboration with Ray-Ban, have become a symbol of the company’s broader push into wearable AI technology. However, their presence in the courtroom sparked immediate attention—and concern. The judge overseeing the trial issued a warning that anyone using glasses capable of recording video or audio inside the courtroom would be held in contempt, citing the need to preserve the integrity of the legal process. This isn’t the first time Meta’s smart glasses have drawn scrutiny in a legal setting. Last year, during a separate antitrust case involving the Federal Trade Commission, New York Times reporter Mike Isaac was reprimanded by a judge for wearing the same device in court. The incident highlighted growing tensions between emerging wearable tech and traditional courtroom rules. The current trial centers on allegations that Instagram and YouTube, both owned by Meta and Google respectively, were designed with features that exploit adolescent psychology, contributing to worsening mental health among young users. The plaintiff, identified in court documents as “KGM,” is now 20 years old and claims her depression and suicidal thoughts intensified after she began using the platforms as a child. TikTok and Snap have already settled, leaving Meta and YouTube as the final defendants in the case, which could set a precedent for similar lawsuits across the country. Zuckerberg’s testimony follows an earlier appearance by Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, and is expected to shed light on Meta’s internal decisions about product design and user engagement. The trial is focused on specific features—such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and notification systems—that plaintiffs argue are engineered to maximize screen time. Meta has increasingly positioned the Ray-Ban glasses as a key part of its AI strategy. Beyond basic functions like taking photos and playing music, the glasses allow users to interact with Meta AI by asking questions about their surroundings. Last week, the New York Times reported that Meta is planning to integrate facial recognition into future versions of the glasses, a move that could further intensify privacy and ethical concerns. Despite the controversy, sales of the smart glasses have surged. At Meta’s most recent earnings call, Zuckerberg said sales more than tripled in 2025, calling the moment a turning point akin to the shift from flip phones to smartphones. As the trial continues, the glasses—once seen as a fashion statement—have become a symbol of the complex intersection between innovation, privacy, and accountability.