Norway floats temporary ban on AI glasses

Norway's move comes as smart glasses make it easier to photograph, film and record people without their knowledge in ordinary public settings — a trip to the park, a day at the beach, a workout at the gym. The government frames the proposal as a way to pause, not to prohibit: it says it is not seeking a total ban on AI glasses, and that the devices should still be allowed in some places and for private use. It is also considering exceptions for vulnerable groups, so that what it calls "socially beneficial uses" could be permitted in some circumstances.

The proposal sits alongside other attempts to set boundaries, with mixed results. California's governor last week vetoed legislation that would have penalized recording people without permission in places like changing rooms and doctor's offices, and Microsoft last month announced guardrails and privacy standards for its AI in schools, negotiated with the second-largest teachers union in the United States. Norway's own debate is still open on where the line falls: healthcare facilities and changing rooms sit at one end, while parks, beaches, museums and shopping centers could also be covered.

What this hinges on is how broadly the Storting defines the restricted spaces and which devices fall under the temporary ban. Makers and users of AI glasses face the most uncertainty, but so do the schools, gyms and health facilities that would have to apply any new rules. The government's promise of an "informed debate" suggests the current proposal is a placeholder, and that the harder question — where private use ends and public restriction begins — is still to be settled.