Torgeir Micaelsen, Norway’s Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance. Photo Martin Siewartz Nielsen/Kunnskapsdepartementet.
Norway plans to introduce a temporary ban on the use of AI glasses in selected public places amid concerns that people could be photographed, filmed or recorded without their knowledge.
Announced by the Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance on 5 October 2026, the proposed restrictions could also extend to other wearable recording devices. The government intends to submit a bill to the Storting as soon as possible and appoint an expert group to advise on permanent regulation.
The concern over hidden recording
Torgeir Micaelsen, Norway’s Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance and a Labour Party politician warned that the prospect of hidden recording could make people feel unsafe in places where they would normally expect to go about their lives without being monitored. The proposed restrictions place particular emphasis on protecting children and privacy in settings such as healthcare facilities and changing rooms.
Reports of misuse have added a practical dimension to the debate. In a report published on 11 October, Norwegian publication FriFagbevegelse quoted a union representative reporting several cases of influencers using smart glasses to film or livestream airport security checks without guards realising they were being recorded. However, the government has not publicly identified these incidents as the reason for its proposed restrictions.
From parks to classrooms
The proposed ban could cover parks, beaches, museums, shopping centres and public events, including concerts and sporting fixtures. Schools, kindergartens, playgrounds and youth clubs are also under consideration, alongside healthcare facilities, swimming pools, gyms and places with changing rooms or showers. The government will assess whether universities and other higher education institutions should be included.
Limits on use, not ownership
The restrictions would target the use of the devices in selected locations. The announcement does not propose a ban on their sale or ownership, and private use would remain possible.
Exactly which devices would fall under the rules remains undecided. Officials will examine whether to include glasses with cameras and audio recording, glasses combining cameras with AI functions, or other wearable technology with similar capabilities.
Making room for assistive uses
The government also intends to provide exemptions for vulnerable groups and allow socially beneficial uses in limited circumstances. The details of those exemptions, along with the final list of locations and devices covered, have yet to be settled.
From debate to proposed ban
The proposal follows several months of debate over whether existing laws adequately protect people from being recorded by smart glasses without their knowledge.
On 25 August 2026, then Digitalisation and Public Governance Minister Karianne Tung called for stricter regulation, including possible restrictions on facial recognition in public spaces. She announced plans for an expert group and encouraged public and private organisations to consider rules for using the devices on their premises.
By September, the debate had widened to include a possible ban. In a parliamentary answer on 28 September, her successor, Torgeir Micaelsen, noted that numerous municipalities had introduced or were preparing restrictions in schools and kindergartens. He said officials were examining where existing legislation might need additional measures.
On 5 October, the government announced plans for a temporary ban in selected locations while developing permanent regulation. Separately, Socialist Left Party MPs Kirsti Bergstø and Mirell Høyer-Berntsen submitted a parliamentary proposal that day seeking restrictions on AI glasses and other wearable technology enabling covert surveillance.
Support, scepticism and Meta’s response
The proposal has drawn support from privacy advocates. Adam Smith, a technology advocacy officer at Privacy International, was quoted by the Associated Press as welcoming Norway’s move as protection against technology companies collecting more data without sufficient regard for other people’s privacy and rights.
Norwegian newspaper Dagsavisen backed the proposed restrictions in an editorial published on 5 October, arguing that regulation should keep pace with emerging technology, particularly to protect children. It also recognised the potential benefits of smart glasses for blind and deaf people and the need for exemptions.
Other commentary has been more sceptical. Business newspaper Dagens Næringsliv published an editorial on 5 October questioning the basis for the proposed ban.
A Meta spokesperson told The Guardian that the glasses remain popular for listening to music, making calls and live translation. The spokesperson said camera-equipped models have a visible light that flashes when taking photos or videos, and that the camera is disabled if the light is covered or tampered with.
How other Nordic countries regulate smart glasses
Finland already restricts smart glasses in classrooms through its existing mobile-device rules. In guidance published on 3 September, the Finnish National Agency for Education clarified that smart glasses count as mobile devices under the Basic Education Act. Their use during lessons requires permission for learning, personal healthcare or assistive purposes. The agency also recommends that schools prohibit pupils’ own smart glasses during breaks, meals and other parts of the school day.
In Sweden, the emphasis is on applying existing rules to the technology. The Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection explains that filming with smart glasses is subject to the same rules as filming with a mobile phone. Secretly recording someone in a home, toilet or changing room can constitute a crime. Sharing recordings more widely online may also bring data protection obligations, while individual institutions can impose their own restrictions.
Denmark has debated stronger measures. In August, MP Eva Flyvholm asked whether the government would consider banning sales of Meta AI glasses and similar products, with exceptions for assistive use. In its response dated 17 September, the government acknowledged the privacy concerns and said it had invited consumer organisation Forbrugerrådet Tænk to discuss safeguards. The answer did not announce a ban.
In Iceland, Reykjavík’s education authorities have taken the view that existing school rules cover smart glasses. Steinn Jóhannsson, head of the city’s School and Leisure Department, told Mannlíf in a report published on 12 September that no separate restrictions specifically targeting the glasses had been introduced. Instead, they fall under general rules on smart devices, whose personal use during school hours is generally restricted unless an exemption or educational reason applies. He also warned that recording pupils or staff without their knowledge could breach school rules and, depending on the circumstances, privacy legislation.
| Country | Approach |
| Norway | Proposes a temporary ban on use in selected public places |
| Finland | Existing classroom restrictions apply to smart glasses |
| Sweden | Existing recording and privacy rules apply |
| Denmark | Stronger restrictions raised in Parliament |
| Iceland | Reykjavík applies general school rules on smart device |
A proposal making international headlines
Norway’s proposal has attracted coverage across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Australia. Major news agencies including Reuters and the Associated Press reported the announcement on 5 October, while Australia’s ABC News carried an AFP report the following day.
In Europe, the Financial Times examined Norway’s move as a potential test case for wider regulation. In the United States, The Wall Street Journal explored the government’s intention to open a debate about privacy and the technology’s use in public.
The story also reached readers through syndicated coverage. Pakistan’s The Express Tribune and South Africa’s Sowetan carried Reuters reports, while Singapore’s CNA published commentary examining the implications for European regulation. In India, The Economic Times’ ETEnterpriseAI carried a Reuters report on 5 October.
In Thailand, the Bangkok Post covered the proposal for English-language readers. Thai-language coverage included Daily News and TNN, which reported the proposal on 7 October, citing Xinhua.
What happens next?
The government intends to submit a bill to the Storting as soon as possible, but its 5 October announcement gave no firm timetable. The proposed restrictions would need parliamentary approval before becoming law.
Meanwhile, an expert group will examine options for permanent regulation of wearable technology. Key questions remain unresolved, including which devices and locations the temporary ban would cover, how exemptions would work and how the restrictions would be enforced.