Norway’s government is planning to introduce a temporary ban on the use of smart glasses in a selection of public spaces. If the bill comes to pass, Norway would be joining a long list of stakeholders to take action against the phenomenon.
Smart glasses are becoming increasingly popular. Allowing their wearers to access AI assistance, to listen to audio, and to film their surroundings, the accessories are a handy hands-free technology. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta alone has sold 9 million pairs of Meta Ray-Bans since the launch in 2023.
However, people are becoming increasingly aware of the risks involved with the technology. Norway’s government will soon be proposing a bill to the Norwegian parliament, proposing to temporarily ban the use of smart glasses in a number of public spaces.
“I am worried that new, powerful technology is being introduced where people risk being photographed, filmed or audio-recorded without knowing it. 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,” Torgeir Micaelsen, Norway’s minister of digital affairs, said.
The proposed ban would be temporary, in order to allow the authorities more time to put together a final ruling. At the time of writing, the details of the bill are still being discussed, especially the exact places where the ban would apply.
Although the government wants to concentrate on places where privacy is very important – such as hospitals, changing rooms, schools, and playgrounds – the bill might very well be extended towards public spaces in general. Smart glasses could thus eventually apply to concerts, sports events, parks, beaches, museums, and shopping centres throughout Norway.
However, the government also noted that their use will undoubtedly remain allowed in private settings and a selection of public spaces. Moreover, an exception might apply to some vulnerable groups, allowing them to benefit from the socially beneficial uses of smart glasses.
By proposing the bill, Norway’s government is joining a growing number of people who distrust smart glasses. For example, Dutch eyewear retailer Hans Anders has suspended sales of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, the UK Cinema Association is taking action against the technology, and the French child welfare group E-enfance has received dozens of reports over the course of 2026 from women and children being filmed with the glasses in public spaces, against their will.
BREAKING: Zuckerberg just admitted Meta’s AI glasses were secretly modified to record people without the warning light. "Less than one tenth of a percent" sounds small. Meta sold roughly 7 million pairs in 2025 alone. That’s potentially thousands of pairs out in public, filming strangers with the privacy indicator deliberately disabled. This isn’t a bug. Someone had to physically tamper with the hardware to kill the light. Wearable AI just hit its first major trust crisis. How does Meta rebuild confidence in a product that literally sits on people’s faces?
— Guillermo Flor (@guilleflorvs) October 7, 2026
Meta, however, insists the glasses are completely safe and pose less privacy risks than some other types of technology.
“We’re excited that our glasses continue to be very popular for listening to music, making calls, or getting live translations, so we’re continuing to expand styles and features around the world. Every pair with a camera has a bright light on the front that blinks when you take a photo or video. It can’t be turned off and the camera is disabled if someone covers or tampers with it — something smartphones and other camera’s don’t have,” a Meta spokesperson said.
At the moment of writing, it is not yet clear if or when the temporary bill will go into effect and whether or not a final ban will follow.
