Norway is weighing a ban on camera-enabled smart glasses and similar wearable headsets, moving to regulate a controversial category of technology amid mounting privacy concerns.
The country’s digital minister, Karianne Tung, said the government is looking to regulate the use of camera-enabled wearables, including devices made by Meta and Snap. These products feature built-in cameras, connect to the internet, and may soon add facial recognition, drawing sharp criticism from civil liberties advocates who argue the devices intrude on people’s privacy. Some critics have labeled them “pervert glasses,” fueling notable consumer backlash.
Why Norway Wants to Regulate Wearables
Tung pointed to a “clear trend toward combining artificial intelligence with cameras and microphones built into glasses, headphones, hats and other objects we use in everyday life.” The concern centers on how easily these everyday items can be turned into recording and monitoring tools without the knowledge or consent of the people around them.
“We must prevent this equipment from being used to monitor other people in public places,” Tung said. She added that any regulation may include banning the use of facial recognition of other people in public spaces, a measure that would directly address one of the most contentious features expected in future wearable hardware.
What Comes Next
Tung plans to establish a group of experts to advise the government on how to better protect people’s privacy rights. That advisory group would help shape the scope of any potential rules, including how far a ban might extend across different types of camera-equipped devices.
The debate arrives as major technology companies push smart glasses further into the mainstream. Devices from Meta and Snap have expanded the reach of internet-connected eyewear, and the anticipated addition of facial recognition has intensified scrutiny from privacy watchdogs. For a US audience tracking the wearables market, Norway’s move signals how governments could respond as these products gain traction.
Norway’s digital minister said the government is looking to regulate the use of camera-enabled wearables, with facial recognition of others in public places among the practices under review.
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