Norway Weighs Potential Ban on Camera-Equipped ‘Spy Glasses’

Norway is contemplating a prohibition on smart glasses and various wearable headsets equipped with cameras, motivated by urgent privacy issues concerning this contentious technology.

Karianne Tung, Norway’s digital minister, mentioned that the government is evaluating regulations for wearable devices featuring cameras, including those produced by Meta and Snap. The potential integration of facial recognition technology in these gadgets has raised alarm among civil liberties advocates, who assert it could violate personal privacy. Detractors have referred to these devices as “pervert glasses,” resulting in significant public backlash.

Tung observed a “distinct trend toward combining artificial intelligence with cameras and microphones in everyday objects like glasses, headphones, and hats.”

“It is crucial to implement measures that prevent this technology from being used for surveillance in public areas,” Tung emphasized, suggesting that this might involve prohibiting facial recognition of individuals in such spaces.

Tung intends to create a committee of experts to assist the government in strengthening the protection of citizens’ privacy rights.