Norway is considering a ban on camera-enabled smart glasses and other wearable headsets, amid growing concerns about privacy and the use of artificial intelligence in public spaces.
Digital minister Karianne Tung said the government was examining how to regulate devices made by companies including Meta and Snap. The glasses can record footage, connect to the internet and may increasingly incorporate facial-recognition technology.
“There is a clear trend toward combining artificial intelligence with cameras and microphones built into glasses, headphones, hats and other objects we use in everyday life,” Ms Tung said, according to the AFP news agency.
She said measures could include a prohibition on using facial recognition to identify other people in public places, adding: “We must prevent this equipment from being used to monitor other people in public places.”
The technology has attracted criticism from civil liberties campaigners, who argue that people may be filmed or analysed without their knowledge. Some critics have used the term “pervert glasses” to describe camera-equipped wearables, fuelling consumer opposition.
Ms Tung plans to establish an expert group to advise the Norwegian Government on strengthening privacy protections. The review will consider how existing safeguards should apply as cameras and artificial intelligence become embedded in everyday objects.
