Norway’s government said on Monday, October 5, that it will PROPOSE a TEMPORARY ban on USING AI glasses in SELECTED places, from PARKS and BEACHES to SCHOOLS, GYMS and doctors’ offices. It is one of the BROADEST government moves yet against camera-equipped smart glasses in Europe, and it lands just as Meta, Samsung and Snap are pushing NEW eyewear into STORES this autumn.
The announcement came in a press release from the Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance. It is NOT yet LAW: the government says it will return to the Storting, Norway’s parliament, with a BILL “as quickly as possible,” and calls the work “HIGHLY prioritised.”
What the minister said
“I am WORRIED that new, powerful technology is being introduced where people risk being photographed, filmed or audio-recorded without their KNOWLEDGE.”
Torgeir Micaelsen (Labour), Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance, as quoted by Reuters
Micaelsen FRAMED the ban as a PAUSE, not a verdict. In the ministry’s statement he said a temporary measure would give the government time for a THOROUGH review and an informed public debate before any PERMANENT RULES. He also said, in our translation from Norwegian, that the government does not want “a society where people are worried about HIDDEN audio recordings, photography and filming” in places where they are used to being UNOBSERVED, warning that such a society “can feel UNSAFE and make us WITHDRAW.”
The stance is a SHIFT. Norwegian news agency NTB, via TV 2, notes that Micaelsen’s predecessor, Karianne Tung, did NOT want to ban AI glasses; the new minister CLEARLY takes a DIFFERENT view.
Where the ban could apply
The ministry LISTS THREE groups of locations it may cover. None of the lists is FINAL; the release repeatedly says each category “COULD” be included.
- Places the public REGULARLY passes through: parks, beaches, MUSEUMS, SHOPPING CENTRES, playgrounds, amusement parks, and sports, music and cultural EVENTS.
- Places for CHILDREN: SCHOOLS, KINDERGARTENS, youth clubs and other places where children spend a lot of time. The government will also CONSIDER universities, colleges and other higher-education institutions.
- Places where PRIVACY matters most: health institutions, INCLUDING doctors’ offices, plus SWIMMING POOLS, GYMS and other facilities with changing rooms and showers.
The government says it is NOT planning a TOTAL ban on AI glasses or other body-worn technology. People could STILL use them PRIVATELY and in places where they do not risk filming or photographing others WITHOUT consent. The proposal will also include EXEMPTIONS so that VULNERABLE groups can be excluded from the ban, and so that LIMITED, socially BENEFICIAL uses remain possible. The release does NOT name specific groups, but the clause plausibly covers ACCESSIBILITY use cases such as visually impaired users who rely on camera-based assistance.
The open question: which devices count
The MOST consequential detail for the industry is still UNDECIDED. According to the ministry, it remains to be studied whether the ban should apply to glasses with a CAMERA and audio recording, to glasses with a camera and AI features, or to OTHER body-worn technology with cameras, microphones or AI. That CHOICE decides whether the rule hits ONLY Ray-Ban Meta-style camera glasses, or also reaches DISPLAY glasses, AI PENDANTS and FUTURE camera-equipped wearables.
Alongside the temporary ban, the government will set up an EXPERT group to study the challenges of body-worn technology and advise on PERMANENT national regulation. NTB reports that work to appoint that group is ALREADY under way.
Why it matters beyond Norway
Norway has been moving in this DIRECTION for WEEKS. Oslo already banned smart glasses in its schools in September, and on October 2 the Dutch optician chain Hans Anders suspended Meta Ray-Ban sales in the Netherlands and Belgium. Reuters describes Norway’s proposal as mirroring that BROADER pushback against camera glasses. Aftenposten adds that several parties and organisations SUPPORT the measure, which MATTERS for its chances in PARLIAMENT.
The TIMING is AWKWARD for the category. Samsung’s Galaxy Glasses with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker have new FCC filings and a November window, Snap has OPENED a Specs pop-up in Los Angeles, and Meta is widening Ray-Ban Display availability. Norway is a SMALL MARKET, but a NATIONAL law that BANS wear in shopping centres, gyms and public events would be a CONCRETE template for other European governments, and a DIRECT TEST of whether the industry’s capture LEDs and privacy settings are ENOUGH to satisfy REGULATORS.
What to watch
- The actual BILL text, and whether it targets camera glasses ONLY or all camera- and AI-equipped wearables.
- How ENFORCEMENT would work in places like parks and beaches, which the release does NOT address.
- Whether Meta, Samsung or Snap RESPOND publicly, and whether OTHER Nordic governments FOLLOW.
Sources: Norwegian Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance (October 5, 2026); Reuters; NRK; NTB via TV 2; Aftenposten. Norwegian quotes other than the Reuters quote are Metaverse Watcher translations. Featured image: Ray-Ban Meta Gen 1 by CCadio via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).