Norway eyes partial ban of smart glasses

Norway's government said Monday it wants a temporary ban on the use of smart glasses in certain public places, citing privacy concerns, notably recording images without the knowledge of those filmed.

The ban could apply to parks, beaches, museums, shopping centres, schools, daycare centres, healthcare facilities, gyms and public events.

The Labour Party, which heads a minority government, needs the support of other parties to pass the proposed ban.

It said it plans to submit a bill "as soon as possible," while tasking an expert group with drawing up permanent regulations on the issue.

"We do not want a society where people worry about being recorded without their knowledge, photographed, or filmed in places and situations where they are accustomed to not being monitored," said Minister of Digital Affairs and Public Administration Torgeir Micaelsen.

The government clarified it does not seek a blanket ban on the glasses.

The measure comes as smart glasses -- especially those marketed by Meta under popular brands such as Ray-Ban and Oakley -- are causing growing concern in Europe.

In France, child welfare group e-Enfance said last month it had received some 20 reports of women being filmed without their consent, in most of those cases with Meta glasses.

Some of those videos were subsequently shared on social media and led to cases of mockery or hateful messages, leading to the Paris public prosecutor opening an investigation.

Norway's capital Oslo has already decided to ban glasses equipped with cameras in schools, while there have been increasing calls for stricter regulation in the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Meta says its glasses are equipped with a LED light that flashes when a photo or video is taken and cannot be turned off without rendering the camera inoperable.