Norway plans tighter rules for camera-enabled Meta smart glasses

Norway is preparing to tighten rules around smart glasses and similar devices, with the government considering restrictions on facial recognition in public spaces. 

According to the AFP news agency, Digitalisation Minister Karianne Tung said the move reflects concerns about privacy as artificial intelligence is increasingly combined with cameras and microphones built into everyday products. 

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Smart glasses can capture photos and videos, handle calls, translate foreign-language signs, display text or maps and interact with AI assistants. The proposed measures could change how these devices are used in public, while an expert group will advise the government on protecting consumers from emerging technologies.

Norway weighs tighter smart-glasses rules

Tung said people’s private lives and privacy are coming under pressure from new technology and that she wants to regulate smart glasses and similar devices more strictly.

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She said this could include banning features such as facial recognition of other people in public spaces. Tung also urged the public and private sectors to consider their own guidelines.

Consumer group seeks legal clarity

Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad, head of digital policy at the Norwegian Consumer Council, welcomed the government’s move. He urged retailers to stop selling smart glasses until there is legal clarity on the issue.

Myrstad pointed to the growing combination of AI with cameras and microphones built into glasses, earbuds, caps and other everyday items. He said such equipment must not be used to monitor other people in public spaces.

Meta facial recognition raises concerns

Myrstad said Meta already has the facial-recognition technology ready to be integrated into its smart glasses and that it is only a matter of time before it is rolled out.

He also warned that banning facial-recognition features would not stop wearers from secretly filming people, adding that the potential for abuse is enormous.