Norway moves toward temporary ban on smart glasses in public places

Meta points to LED indicator as UK, US sites impose their own rules

Norway’s government is moving to temporarily bar the use of camera-enabled smart glasses in a wide range of public and semi-public spaces, the Guardian reported on Monday. The Oslo government is drafting a bill that would prohibit the use of such glasses in parks, beaches, museums, shopping centres, schools, daycare centres, healthcare facilities, gyms and public events. Private use of the glasses would still be allowed under the proposal.

Digital Affairs Minister Torgeir Micaelsen said he was “worried that ‌new, powerful technology is being introduced where people risk being ‌photographed, filmed or audio-recorded without knowing it.” He added: “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 accustomed to not being monitored.”

Norway’s Labour party, which heads a minority government, needs the support of other parties to pass the proposed ban. The government said it plans to submit a bill “as soon as possible” while separately tasking an expert group with drawing up permanent regulations on the devices.

The proposed ban is part of a growing patchwork of restrictions on AI-enabled smart glasses in Europe and the United States. UK and US courtrooms already restrict the devices, and pubs, cinemas and restaurants have imposed their own limits on customers using them.

In the United Kingdom, restaurateurs including Jeremy King, who created the Wolseley and Delaunay restaurants, and pub chain Wetherspoons have said they do not want customers using the devices. UK cinemas said in August they had begun introducing policies to ban or restrict smart glasses, citing both privacy and film piracy concerns.

In the United States, California Governor Gavin Newsom last week vetoed legislation that would have penalised citizens for using smart glasses to record people without their permission in changing rooms, doctors’ offices and other spaces people generally consider private. The state already has laws governing unlawful recording.

In France, the child welfare group E-enfance said it had this year received about 20 reports of women being filmed without their knowledge using glasses fitted with a camera, the majority of which involved Meta smart glasses. The group said the incidents often followed the same pattern: a young girl or woman approached in a public place, filmed without her knowledge, with the clip then posted on social media in the form of a prank or a street interview.

Meta sells “smart” versions of Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses that allow users to film, take photos, make phone calls, play music and execute AI prompts. The company has sold at least 9 million pairs of the Ray-Ban versions since the start of 2023, according to the Guardian.

Meta has stressed that each pair of glasses is fitted with a tamper-proof LED light that blinks white when the user is recording or taking pictures. The company advises users: “Not everyone loves being photographed. Stop recording if anyone expresses that they would rather you not.”

A Meta spokesperson said: “We’re excited that our glasses continue to be very popular for listening to music, making calls, or getting live translations, so we’re continuing to expand styles and features around the world. Every pair with a camera has a bright light on the front that blinks when you take a photo or video. It can’t be turned off and the camera is disabled if someone covers or tampers with it — something smartphones and other camera’s don’t have.”