Norway Moves to Put AI Glasses on Pause Before Privacy Slips Away
Norway Moves to Put AI Glasses on Pause Before Privacy Slips Away
Norway is moving to become the first major country to propose a temporary ban on AI glasses in selected public places, putting privacy fears ahead of the wearable industry’s rush to make the devices mainstream.
The center-left government said Monday it would soon send legislation to parliament targeting places where people may reasonably expect not to be monitored: parks, beaches, schools and kindergartens. It also plans an expert group to draft permanent national rules.
Digitalization Minister Torgeir Micaelsen framed the proposal as a response to technology that can photograph, film or record people without their knowledge. “I am concerned about the introduction of powerful new technology where people risk being photographed, filmed, or recorded without their knowledge,” he said.
The government’s case is not that every use of smart glasses is improper. It has explicitly ruled out a blanket prohibition, arguing there can be appropriate uses where there is no danger of non-consensual filming. But Micaelsen said the temporary measure would create space for “a thorough assessment and … an informed debate” before permanent regulation is set.
That caution follows smaller restrictions already taking hold in Norway. Schools in Oslo and energy giant Equinor have barred the glasses from their premises, reflecting concern that discreet cameras and microphones could be used around children, in workplaces or in other vulnerable settings.
The wider industry sees a different future. Meta, Google and OpenAI have promoted wearable devices as a possible replacement for smartphones — a more natural way to access AI by speaking rather than typing. Yet the same always-on convenience has sharpened fears over what the devices can see and hear. Norway’s argument is that public confidence must come before that promise: a society anxious about hidden recording, Micaelsen warned, could feel unsafe and cause people to withdraw.
Write a comment