Norway lays down a line for EU on AI glasses

Richard Milne’s Business Insight column (opinion) on Norway’s move on Monday to become the first government anywhere to propose a ban on using AI glasses in certain public places. The ban would be temporary, and Norway will set up an expert group to prepare permanent regulation; many details remain open, including exactly where it would apply. The aim is the most sensitive areas such as schools and changing rooms, with beaches, museums, shopping centres, kindergartens, playgrounds, healthcare facilities, gym changing rooms and even universities among locations indicated. Digitalisation minister Torgeir Micaelsen calls getting the proposal to parliament “a high priority” and says Norway must not repeat the mistake made with social media 15 years ago, while conceding regulation is “complex”. Earlier restrictions have been piecemeal (UK and US courts, Equinor, Oslo schools). Meta pushes the glasses hardest with its Ray-Bans, Huawei sells them, and Apple and Google could follow. Misuse cited includes men filming women in the street and a Danish MP who revealed he had recorded fellow MPs at work; a CNIL survey found 67% see a privacy risk. EU angle: the European Data Protection Board has commissioned a report on the social acceptability of smart glasses, which law firm Gerrish says could guide a common EU approach, as national positions on cookies and ad tech once converged. Elsewhere, Australia is seeking advice on banning them from government offices, and Dutch retailer Hans Anders stopped selling Meta’s Ray-Bans this month over privacy concerns. Counterweight: tech companies are expected to push back hard, and Counterpoint Research forecasts more than $1tn of wearables spending through 2032.