http://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/218484-2

The rules of decorum state that senators can’t use phones or electronic devices in the chamber during President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, but what about Apple Watches?

At least eight senators had them strapped on their wrists in the chamber at the start of the trial Tuesday, despite guidelines from Senate leadership that all electronics should be left in the cloakroom in the provided storage.

Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, John Thune of South Dakota, Jerry Moran of Kansas, John Barrasso of Wyoming, John Cornyn of Texas and Tim Scott of South Carolina all are wearing them on the floor. Also spotted with the smart watch: an aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

snip

So, too, are Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet of Colorado and Patty Murray of Washington. Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner owns an Apple watch, but it could not be confirmed if he had it on the floor.

...then what's the problem?

Which Senators were wearing their internet connected watches?

DU is a very dynamic environment!

and the Dems who wore those digital watches may end up having evidence that could be used to make the contrast with whatever leaked cherry-picked stuff the GOPpies gather with theirs.

I am more upset by this suffocation of information rule than almost anything else that's going on today.
By what fuqqing fiat of a faux authority is it that the press can't see what's going on, and no one involved can do anything to construct a verifiable record of the events going down? It's like being mugged and then blindfolded and suffocated during the assault. What the ever-loving fuck?!

be conflated here.

The devices were banned not to keep senators from "sharing" with some deprived public or media; the device ban is to insure that senators not use them to communicate to each other, which has nothing, really to do with access by media. Banning devices is to keep them fully present during the trial. Both parties.

whatever the stated intent of the ban may be. But yes, ok it would not be alright for senators to be able to signal one another.

I don't know if this is a Republican/Democrat thing. More so people are just addicted to technology.

It doesn't help that Ted Cruz is tweeting come and get it, with a pic of a phone.👿

At least you could say those Senators possibly forgot they left their watches on, plus they can't link to the phone anyway since they are likely well out of the 100 feet limit. But with Cruz, it's blatant. Can Roberts dismiss him for this?

For claustrophobia, BG pricking; BP, meditation for anger management?

When will someone ask to approach the bench to report the failures of compliance of what must have been noticed - hahaha! NEVER for fear of...

I can't wait for the withdrawal systems to be visible during this trial

If the phones are more than a hundred feet away, then the watch is just a watch.

What can leak out if it's all live?