Norway is preparing to tighten regulations on smart glasses and is evaluating whether to ban facial recognition features on these devices in public spaces. As AI is integrated into wearable devices such as glasses, headphones, and hats, local authorities are shifting their regulatory focus to recording and identification activities in public areas.
The government plans to establish an expert panel to study new regulations.
On August 25, Norway’s Digital Minister Karianne Tung stated that the government will establish an expert group to provide recommendations on how to protect consumer privacy. Before formal regulations are issued, she also requested public institutions and private organizations to develop their own internal usage guidelines.
Norway has not yet announced when the expert panel will begin or provided a timeline for subsequent legislation. However, based on official statements, the regulatory scope extends beyond equipment sales to include filming, identification, and data usage in public settings.
Consumer organizations demand a suspension of sales
The Norwegian Consumer Council welcomes government intervention and calls on retailers to suspend sales of smart glasses until the legal framework is clear. Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad, Head of Digital Policy at the agency, stated that even if facial recognition is banned in the future, it cannot fully prevent wearers from secretly recording others.
He also noted that Meta's facial recognition feature has been developed and is awaiting launch, and that the risk of misuse will significantly increase once the technology enters the market.
The controversy surrounding Meta's glasses continues to grow.
Privacy concerns surrounding smart glasses have intensified over the past few months. In January, BBC investigation found that women were secretly filmed in public places by individuals wearing Ray-Ban Meta glasses, with the videos later uploaded to TikTok. In February, Swedish media also reported that outsourced workers involved in training Meta AI had accessed audio and video recordings involving changing, bathroom use, and sexual activity.
In April, the American Civil Liberties Union and 75 other groups called on Meta to abandon facial recognition in its glasses. In May, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation. In July, Meta patched the device after users discovered they could bypass the recording indicator light.
If Norway moves forward with dedicated legislation, it could become one of the first countries to establish specific regulations for smart glasses. Meanwhile, Monopoly Events, the organizer of Comic Con; DEF CON, the security conference; and the Scottish police have each implemented restrictions or launched investigations regarding such devices.