Norway plans a temporary ban on smart glasses in some public places

Norway is planning a temporary ban on smart glasses in some public places, amid growing global concern over the spread of recording devices enabled by artificial intelligence.

The government in Oslo is planning a draft law to ban the use of camera glasses in parks, beaches, museums, shopping centres, schools, daycare centres, health institutions, gyms and public events, although private use will still be allowed.

There is already a growing restriction on the use of the glasses, including in courts in the United Kingdom and the U.S., as well as in bars, cinemas and restaurants, where owners have raised fears over privacy.

Torgeir Micaelsen, Norway’s minister for digital affairs, said he was concerned that new and powerful technology is being introduced where people risk being photographed, filmed or audio-recorded without knowing it.

“We do not want a society where people worry about being recorded without their knowledge, photographed or filmed in places and situations where they are used to not being monitored,” he said.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta sells “smart” versions of Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses that allow users to film, take photos, make calls, play music and carry out artificial intelligence instructions. It has sold at least 9 million pairs of the Ray-Ban versions since the start of 2023.

Meta has stressed that every pair of glasses is equipped with a tamper-proof LED light that flashes white when the user is recording or taking photographs. It advises users: “Not everyone likes being photographed. Stop recording if someone expresses that they would not prefer you to do this.”