A Pause on Smart Glasses - Is Norway taking a Stand for Public Privacy?
A camera used to announce itself. Someone raised a phone, pointed it, and made the act of recording visible. Smart glasses make that social cue much harder to read. Their wearer can look like they are simply listening, walking, or chatting while a tiny camera and microphone capture the people around them.
That is the privacy problem Norway is trying to address. The government plans to propose a temporary ban on AI glasses in selected public places, potentially including parks, beaches, museums, shopping centers, schools, playgrounds, healthcare facilities, and gyms. It says this is not a total ban: private use and situations where other people are not at risk of being recorded would remain possible. The proposed pause is meant to give lawmakers time to assess the technology and consider longer-term rules.
