Privacy concerns put smart glasses under scrutiny as Norway seeks temporary ban

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.

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

AI glasses fan concerns — from showers to seashores and beyond

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 extend to public concerts and sports events, plus parks, beaches, museums and shopping centers.

A temporary ban would give authorities time to decide what types of devices might be affected, and debate whether permanent regulation is needed. The government was quick to note that it was not proposing a total ban and said such devices should still be allowed in some places and for private use.

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

Privacy advocates hail Norway’s move

Adam Smith, a technology advocacy officer at Britain-based Privacy International, said Norway’s move was “a welcome protection against big tech’s greedy attempts to extract ever more data, often in absence of any thought for the privacy or rights of others.”

“No reality exists in which people expect to be secretly surveilled going about their daily lives,” he said.

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.

Despite Meta’s assurances, some businesses clamp down

Meta, the company behind Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram that has rolled out AI glasses with eyewear vendor Ray-Ban, encourages respect for privacy and advises customers on how to use the glasses responsibly.

“Respect people’s preferences. Not everyone loves being photographed. Stop recording if anyone expresses that they would rather you not,” Meta wrote on its site.

The tech giant based in Menlo Park, California, says a light on the glasses indicates when recording in underway, and if the glasses detect that the light has been blocked or physically tampered with, the camera is automatically disabled.

Despite such advice and assurances, some privacy advocacy groups cite a growing backlash against AI glasses.

Hans Anders, a prominent eyewear retailer in the Netherlands, has suspended sales of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

“This decision follows the ongoing public and political debate surrounding smart glasses and the questions being raised about the conditions under which this technology can be used,” Hans Anders said in a statement, suggesting that it plans to await the outcome of the debate before making a final decision.

In Britain, the UK Cinema Association said in August it was introducing policies to prohibit or restrict the wearing of camera-enabled smart glasses, citing concerns about privacy and film piracy through the use of such technology.