The worst spectacle: Smart glasses are becoming increasingly popular as a wearable device for public use, and privacy is paying the price. Authorities are looking for new regulatory frameworks to curb abuses, and Norway may already be ahead.
Norwegian authorities are preparing a temporary ban on AI-powered smart glasses, giving experts time to draft a new law to limit potential misuse of the latest wearables. The government announced the plan on Monday, saying smart glasses will be an unwelcome guest in certain public places, at least for now.
According to Torgeir Eikstad Micaelsen, Norway’s Minister for Digitalization and Public Administration, people are increasingly concerned that smart glasses can be misused to invade privacy. Norwegians and everyone else can now easily become unwilling “guests” in photos and video clips taken by a new generation couple.
A temporary ban will give the government “time to conduct a thorough assessment and have an informed debate that can lay the foundation for permanent regulation,” Micaelsen said earlier this week.
Oslo, the capital and largest city in Norway by population, is now enforcing a complete ban on smart glasses in schools. Meanwhile, oil and gas giant Equinor has banned the devices from both its offices and offshore facilities.
The ban could be enforced in parks, beaches, schools and other public places where people don’t necessarily expect to be recorded by a high-tech portable device. Locations where there is no risk of a data breach would not be covered.
Micaelsen said the temporary measure is now a high priority proposal for the government. He added that Norway must not become a society where people avoid public places for fear of being recorded or monitored without their consent, a society that “can be perceived as unsafe and cause us to withdraw.”
In fact, parts of Norwegian society have already responded to the growing popularity of smart smart glasses. Oslo, the capital and largest city in Norway by population, is now enforcing a complete ban on smart glasses in schools. Meanwhile, oil and gas giant Equinor has banned the devices from both its offices and offshore facilities.
Some big tech companies and AI companies are turning to smart glasses, hoping to position them as a bridge between customers and voice-activated chatbots. Of course, these companies also believe that smart glasses could replace smartphones as the default way to interact with AI on the go.
While companies like Meta are optimistic about the technology’s prospects, many are doing everything they can to avoid it. Norway is working on broader regulatory efforts, but smart glasses are already banned from public spaces such as New York courts and elsewhere around the world.
