Norway is preparing to tighten regulations on smart glasses and is evaluating whether to ban the use of facial recognition functions on such devices in public places. As AI is being integrated into wearable devices such as glasses, headphones, and hats, the local government has begun to focus its regulations on filming and recognition activities in public spaces.
The government plans to establish an expert group to study the new regulations.
Norwegian Digitalization Minister Karianne Tung stated on August 25th that the government would establish an expert group to provide recommendations on how to protect consumer privacy. Before the official regulations are introduced, she also called on public institutions and private organizations to develop their own internal guidelines for use first.
Currently, Norway has not announced when the expert group will be established, nor has a timeline for subsequent legislation been provided. However, from the official statements, it is clear that the scope of regulation now extends beyond just device sales to include the methods of filming, recognition, and data usage in public scenarios.
Consumer organizations are calling for a suspension of sales.
The Norwegian Consumer Council welcomes the government's intervention and also calls on retailers to suspend the sale of smart glasses until the legal framework is clarified. Finn L ü tzow - Holm Myrstad, the head of the organization's digital policy department, stated that even if facial recognition is banned in the future, it will not be possible to completely prevent wearers from secretly photographing others.
He also mentioned that the face recognition function of Meta has been developed and is awaiting launch. Once the related technology enters the market, the risk of abuse will significantly increase.
Meta The controversy over glasses continues to expand
The privacy controversy surrounding smart glasses has been intensifying in recent months. A survey in January of this year BBC found that women in public places were secretly filmed by individuals wearing Ray - Ban Meta glasses, and the related videos were subsequently uploaded to TikTok. Swedish media also reported in February that subcontractors involved in Meta AI training had viewed recordings and videos involving dressing, toileting, and sexual behavior.
In April of this year, the American Civil Liberties Union and 75 other organizations requested that Meta abandon the implementation of facial recognition in glasses. In May, the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation. In July, after users discovered that it was possible to bypass the recording prompt lights, Meta made repairs to the devices.
If Norway proceeds with specialized legislation, it could become one of the first countries to establish regulations specifically for smart glasses. Meanwhile, the organizers of Comic Con, as well as the security conferences organized by Monopoly Events and DEF CON, and the Scottish police have also taken restrictive or investigative measures regarding such devices.
