Norway considers ban on camera-enabled wearable 'pervert glasses'

Norway is considering a ban on smart glasses and other camera-enabled wearable headsets as it looks to regulate the technology amid privacy concerns. The country’s digital minister, Karianne Tung, quoted by the AFP news agency, said the government is looking to regulate the use of camera-enabled wearables such as those made by Meta and Snap. These devices feature cameras, are internet-connected, and may soon include facial recognition, drawing criticism from civil-liberties advocates who say they intrude on people’s privacy; some call the devices “pervert glasses,” a label that has prompted considerable consumer backlash.

Tung said 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.” “We must prevent this equipment from being used to monitor other people in public places,” she said, adding that any regulation may include banning the use of facial recognition of other people in public spaces. Tung plans to set up a group of experts to advise the government on better protecting people’s privacy rights.

Why it matters

A national ban on camera-equipped smart glasses would be one of the most direct regulatory responses yet to the wave of AI-powered wearables from Meta and Snap, setting a precedent other privacy-conscious governments could follow.