Norway to Propose Temporary Ban on AI Glasses in Selected Places

Norway’s government will propose a temporary ban on the use of AI glasses in selected public places and will appoint an expert group to advise on permanent national regulation of body-worn technology, the Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance said in an October 5, 2026 announcement.

Scope of the Proposed Ban

The ministry said the temporary ban would make it prohibited to use AI glasses in selected places. It could apply to places where the public regularly gathers, such as parks, bathing beaches, museums, shopping centers, and public events. A fact section in the announcement also lists playgrounds, amusement parks, and sports, music, and cultural events as possible covered locations.

The ban could further cover places and events for children, including schools, kindergartens, playgrounds, and leisure clubs. The ministry stated that children have a right to special protection, and that it may also become relevant to include higher-level education institutions. Separately, the government will consider whether the ban should extend to universities, colleges, and other education institutions.

A third category covers places where privacy is particularly important. The announcement names health institutions (including doctors’ offices), swimming pools, gyms, and other places with changing rooms and shower facilities.

Technology Scope, Exemptions, and No Total Ban

The ministry said it will examine more closely which technology the ban should cover. The options under examination include glasses with a camera and audio recording, glasses with a camera and AI functionality, and potentially other body-worn technology equipped with a camera, audio recording, and/or AI.

The announcement states that exemptions from the ban will be provided so that vulnerable groups can be exempted and to enable socially beneficial use in delimited cases.

The government is not proposing a total ban on AI glasses and other body-worn technology. The ministry said such technology would still be permitted in certain places as well as in purely private use, for example where there is no risk of filming or photographing other people without their consent.

Minister’s Rationale and Next Steps

Digitalisation and Public Governance Minister Torgeir Micaelsen of the Labour Party said he is concerned that new, powerful technology is being introduced in settings where people risk being photographed, filmed, or audio-recorded without knowing it. He said the proposed temporary ban would provide time for a thorough assessment and an informed public debate that could lay the groundwork for permanent regulation.

Micaelsen said the government does not want a society in which people worry about hidden audio recordings, photography, and filming in places and situations where they are accustomed to being unmonitored. Such a society can feel unsafe and cause people to withdraw, he said.

The ministry said work on the temporary ban is highly prioritized, and the government will return to the Storting, Norway’s parliament, with a bill as soon as possible. In parallel, the expert group will be appointed to conduct a thorough assessment of challenges tied to body-worn technology and to advise on permanent regulation.

Earlier Push for Stricter Smart-Glasses Rules

The move follows an August 25, 2026 announcement from the same ministry, in which Karianne Tung, then the digitalisation and public governance minister, said she wanted to regulate smart glasses and similar devices more strictly than under current rules. Tung said such regulation could, for example, include banning functions such as facial recognition of other people in public spaces, describing privacy as under pressure from new technology.

That announcement said the move was in line with input from Datatilsynet, Norway’s data protection authority, and Forbrukerrådet, the Consumer Council, on examining the room to regulate this type of technology. Tung pointed to what she described as a clear trend of artificial intelligence being combined with cameras and microphones built into items such as glasses, earbuds, caps, and other everyday objects, and said that use of such equipment to monitor others in public spaces must be avoided.

Tung also planned to appoint an expert group to work quickly on alternatives and proposals for regulating smart glasses, earbuds, and other devices that now come with cameras and built-in AI features, with the government then to assess and send out for consultation any proposals for new regulation. She urged leaders in the public and private sectors to consider whether smart glasses and similar devices should be permitted in their premises and workplaces. The August release noted that Education Minister Kari Nessa Nordtun had already urged Norwegian schools to regulate smart-glasses use in their conduct rules.