Norway bans wearing AI glasses in public

The Norwegian government intends to ban the wearing of glasses with built-in artificial intelligence in public places. There will be no complete restriction on this technology – they will be allowed for private use and possibly for filming in tourist locations. To study this issue, the authorities will create a special commission headed by experts.

“We do not want to live in a society where people are concerned about covert audio recording, photographing and videotaping in places and situations where they are used to being unattended. Such a society can be perceived as unsafe, said Minister of Digitalization Thorgeir Mikaelsen (quoted on the government website).

All public places – parks, museums, shopping centers and medical institutions – will be banned. The priority will be the protection of children – the ban will apply to kindergartens, schools and universities.

Glasses integrated with artificial intelligence, externally may not differ from the usual. They have built-in cameras and microphones. Such devices are produced by several large technology companies, among them Meta is the leader in sales (recognized as extremist and banned in Russia). The company EssilorLuxottica, which produces AI glasses together with her, reported the sale of more than 7 million devices in 2025. Devices have already been banned in some U.S. states due to privacy risks. In England and Wales, their use has been banned from court hearings, and some cafes have restricted visitors from using such devices. Norway will be the first EU member state to adopt restrictive measures.