Digitalisation and Public Governance Minister Karianne Tung said on August 25 that the government would establish an expert group to examine regulation of smart glasses and other AI-equipped devices. Among the options is a ban on functions that allow users to recognise the faces of other people in public spaces.
The government is not proposing a blanket ban on smart glasses. Its focus is on capabilities that could allow people to record, analyse or identify others without their knowledge as AI is increasingly combined with cameras and microphones in glasses, earbuds and other everyday devices.
The review follows concerns raised by Norway’s data-protection authority and Consumer Council over whether existing rules adequately address the risks created by increasingly unobtrusive wearable technology.
Tung said the expert group would work quickly and propose regulatory options. Any measures subsequently pursued by the government would require further assessment and consultation.
Norway is also encouraging public agencies and private companies to consider their own restrictions on smart glasses in workplaces and premises, while schools have been urged to address their use through internal rules.
The initiative comes as Norway works to incorporate the EU’s AI regulatory framework into national law, with the government aiming to present legislation to parliament in spring 2027. Existing privacy, criminal and copyright laws already apply to the development and use of AI.
The debate highlights a broader regulatory challenge as AI moves from phones and computers into devices worn continuously by consumers. For policymakers, the emerging question is whether existing privacy protections remain sufficient when cameras, microphones and AI processing can operate less visibly in everyday public spaces.
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