Norway seeks temporary ban on smart glasses as privacy concerns rise

A trip to the park. A day at the beach. A workout session at the gym. All in public spaces where smart glasses can snap photos, record conversations or stream video online — without people in the line of their lenses and microphones knowing about it.

Norway's government wants to get a handle on both the promise and peril of AI glasses, and is proposing that parliament enact a temporary ban on them in some places.

It's the latest sign of growing concern in many countries about new technologies that are fundamentally changing the way people live. Some governments have banned the use of social media by children and young teens .

One effort to rein in the use of AI glasses has run aground — in the home of Silicon Valley.

California's governor last week vetoed legislation that would have penalized the use of smart glasses to record people without their permission in places like changing rooms, doctor’s offices and other spaces people generally consider private.

And Microsoft last month announced plans to adopt guardrails and privacy standards for its AI in schools, as negotiated with the second-largest teachers union in the United States.

Norway’s government said the proposal for the temporary ban will be made to parliament, the Storting, “as soon as possible.”

Torgeir Micaelsen, the Norwegian minister of digitalization and public governance, expressed concerns about the emergence of new technology that could photograph, film or record the audio of people without their knowledge.

A key question is where to draw the line: Norwegian authorities say a ban on the use of smart glasses could apply to places where “privacy is particularly important,” like healthcare facilities, or fitness centers with changing rooms and showers. A major focus is spaces where children congregate, such as schools, kindergartens, playgrounds and youth clubs.

But it could also extend to public concerts and sporting events, as well as parks, beaches, museums and shopping centers.

The temporary ban would give authorities time to look more deeply into the matter, decide what types of devices might be affected, and hold an “informed debate” that could lead to permanent regulation, Micaelsen said.

The government was quick to note that it was not proposing a total ban on AI glasses or other “wearable technology,” adding that such devices should still be allowed in some places and for private use.

The government also said it was considering exceptions to the ban for vulnerable groups, so that “socially beneficial uses” of smart glasses could be permitted in some circumstances.