Wednesday, September 30, 2026 300 stories · 2734 outlet reports compared

California bans law enforcement use of electric-shock gloves

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law banning local, state and federal officers in California from using gloves that deliver electric shocks, weeks after ICE moved to equip agents with the devices.

By The Lumen desk · Sept 30, 2026 · 1 min read
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What we know
1 California passed a law banning local, state and federal officers from using gloves that deliver electric shocks, according to PBS NewsHour, The Guardian and the Associated Press.
2 Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law, per PBS NewsHour and The Guardian.
3 The ban takes effect next year and remains in place until 2030, according to The Guardian.
4 ICE recently moved to equip its officers with the shock gloves, awarding a nearly $17 million contract, according to The Guardian and NewsNation.

California has enacted a law banning local, state and federal law enforcement officers from using gloves that deliver electric shocks to people, according to multiple outlets. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the measure, PBS NewsHour and The Guardian reported.

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The ban takes effect next year and will remain in place until 2030, according to The Guardian.

The law comes weeks after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement moved to equip its officers with the shock gloves, which are designed to gain compliance from combative individuals, per The Guardian and NewsNation. The Guardian and NewsNation both reported that ICE awarded a contract worth nearly $17 million to purchase the gloves.

No right-leaning outlets provided coverage of this law in the supplied material.

How each side covered it

Left

4 outlets
  • Left-leaning outlets reported that Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law banning shock gloves for local, state and federal officers.
  • Reports noted the ban takes effect next year and lasts until 2030, per The Guardian.
  • Outlets tied the law's timing to ICE's recent move to equip agents with the gloves.
  • Mother Jones described the gloves as a device favored by ICE.

“California bans officers’ use of electric-shock gloves after ICE reveals plan to equip agents” — The Guardian

Center

1 outlet
  • NewsNation focused on the timing of the ban following ICE's $17 million allocation for the shock glove technology.

“California bans shock gloves weeks after ICE allocates $17M for the technology” — NewsNation

Questions readers ask

What did California's new law do?

California enacted a law banning local, state and federal law enforcement officers from using gloves that deliver electric shocks, according to PBS NewsHour, The Guardian and the Associated Press. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the measure into law.

Why was this law passed now?

The Guardian and NewsNation reported the ban comes weeks after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement moved to equip its officers with electric-shock gloves, awarding a contract worth nearly $17 million to acquire them.

When does the ban take effect and how long does it last?

According to The Guardian, the ban on shock gloves takes effect next year and will remain in place until 2030.

What are the shock gloves used for?

The Guardian reported the gloves are designed to gain compliance from combative individuals.

Did right-leaning outlets cover this story?

No right-leaning outlets provided coverage of this event in the supplied material.

Sources · 6 outlet reports

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