The plan targets consumer glasses and similar wearables in public settings, aiming to curb facial recognition and covert recording abilities.

Critics have dubbed the issue with smart glasses as a rising controversy, sparking protests and venue-specific restrictions across Europe.

Norway’s move reflects broader European pressure on camera glasses, influenced by debates and actions in Germany and the United States.

The story draws on Tech Crunch and other outlets, illustrating ongoing international reporting on smart glasses and privacy risks.

Germany sees legal action from a non-profit against Meta and others over Ray-Ban and Oakley AI glasses, seeking bans for potential data-protection breaches.

Norway is considering a precautionary, device-wide move to restrict camera-enabled wearables in public spaces, with a potential blanket ban on facial-recognition features amid privacy concerns.

A government proposal would establish an expert advisory group to help shape regulatory options and strengthen privacy protections for surveillance-enabled wearables.

Advocacy groups and media highlight privacy risks and incidents of covert filming, with responses from organizations like the ACLU and from tech companies such as Meta.

The issue sits within a wider pattern of venue and institution-led privacy restrictions, underscoring gaps in current design and enforcement.

Manufacturers are responding variably, with some releasing camera-free frames and others delaying launches to bolster privacy safeguards.

Investors are watching Norway as a potential reference point for the EU and other markets, with implications for compliance costs and hardware strategies.

Civil liberties groups push for stricter protections, arguing that current indicators and covert recording capabilities threaten consent, including popular models like Meta’s Ray-Bans.