Norway Moves to Regulate 'Pervert Glasses,' Weighs Facial Recognition Ban

In brief

• Digitalisation Minister Karianne Tung said Norway will regulate smart glasses more strictly and may ban facial recognition in public spaces.
• She plans to appoint an expert group on privacy and has urged organizations to set their own rules in the meantime.
• The Norwegian Consumer Council called on retailers to halt sales of the devices until there is legal clarity.

Norway plans to regulate smart glasses more tightly and is considering a ban on facial recognition in public spaces, Digitalisation Minister Karianne Tung said on August 25.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being paired with cameras and microphones built into glasses, earbuds and caps, Tung said in a statement, adding that Norway "must avoid this equipment being used to monitor other people in public spaces."

She said she would appoint an expert group to advise the government on protecting consumers from the technology, and urged public and private organizations to draw up their own guidelines while the rules are written. No timetable has been set.

Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad, head of digital policy at the Norwegian Consumer Council, welcomed the move but said shops should stop selling smart glasses until the law is settled.