Norway's government said on Monday it plans to propose a temporary ban on AI glasses in selected public places, worried that people could be photographed, filmed, or audio-recorded without their knowledge. The move is the latest and potentially the most far-reaching European response to the global backlash over camera-equipped smart glasses.
Under the proposal, the ban could apply to places where the public regularly gathers — parks, beaches, museums, shopping centers, and public events — as well as schools, playgrounds, youth clubs, and privacy-sensitive locations such as doctors' offices, swimming pools, and gyms with changing rooms. "I am worried that new, powerful technology is being introduced where people risk being photographed, filmed or audio-recorded without knowing it," said Digitalisation and Public Governance Minister Torgeir Micaelsen.
The government stressed it is not eyeing a total ban. Private use, and use where others are not at risk of being filmed without consent, would still be allowed. Officials said they would examine exactly which technology falls under the ban — glasses with cameras and audio recording, glasses with cameras and AI functions, or even other body-worn devices with camera, audio recording, and/or AI capabilities. The minority Labour-led government, which needs opposition support to pass legislation, said it would present a bill to parliament as soon as possible and set up an expert group to advise on permanent national regulation of body-worn technology.
Norway is not acting in isolation. Last month, French child-welfare group e-Enfance said it had received some 20 reports of women being filmed without their consent — most involving Meta glasses. Some of those videos were shared on social media, triggering mockery and hateful messages, and the Paris public prosecutor has opened an investigation. Norway's capital Oslo has already banned camera-equipped glasses in schools. Germany's Hamburg has moved forward with similar rules for public transit and public pools, New York has prohibited smart glasses in courts statewide, and calls for stricter regulation are growing across the EU and the UK.
Meta says its glasses carry an LED light that flashes whenever a photo or video is taken, and that the light cannot be switched off without rendering the camera inoperable. Critics argue a tiny blinking light does not meaningfully inform bystanders. As Gizmodo noted, Norway's temporary ban amounts to a timeout — restricting the riskiest public spaces while the country works out permanent rules. One open question: whether the ban will also cover camera-less smart glasses such as those from Even Realities. They carry no covert-recording risk, but could still be misused in controlled settings like exams or courtrooms.