Norway is about to crack down on smartglasses with cameras, but will it be enough?

Norway is considering a law that would limit the use of smartglasses in public, citing concerns and controversies over individual privacy and built-in facial recognition tools.

Smartglasses have had a rocky start, with multiple countries now considering regulation and controls over the new wearable tech.

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By  Andy Boxall

Regulations are on the way for Norwegian smartglasses

Could range from restrictions to a full public ban

Norway's digital minister, Karianne Tung, has stated the country is looking into regulating the growing smartglasses movement. Quoted by the AFP news agency, the Norwegian government is specifically looking into cracking down on camera-equipped wearables. While this would include smartglasses, it would also presumably include Apple's Vision Pro headset, as well as any VR headset with a passthrough mode that allows you to see the real world.

The worry isn't just because of recording, though that is a big part of the problem. Campaigners worry the internet connectivity of the devices could easily be exploited, while Meta has already started the process of adding facial recognition software to its glasses.

AI is also a worry. According to Tung, there is a "clear trend toward combining artificial intelligence with cameras and microphones built into glasses, headphones, hats and other objects we use in everyday life."

It's not currently clear what sort of approach Norway will take. The possibility of banning the use of facial recognition software within public has been suggested, and so has automatic blurring of faces to stop illicit recordings. Quite how such a ban would be enforced is another question, and it would likely have to be included in Norwegian versions of the devices' software.

Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad, digital policy head of the Norwegian Consumer Council has lauded the government's move, but worries it doesn't go far enough. Banning facial recognition wouldn't stop covert recordings, for instance, and he warns the "potential for abuse is enormous". With that in mind, would a public ban be the only real solution?

Nobody seems to know yet, but it's very clear that changes to laws and regulations are coming.

This is likely only the start

Regulation deserves serious legal consideration

Smartglasses have ignited a privacy storm like no wearable before them. We've all been toting around camera-equipped devices for decades now, and there hasn't been this sort of backlash before.

But while you can tell when someone is recording on their phone, because they're holding it up, someone wearing smartglasses could be recording you without you even being aware of it.

While most smartglasses have a recording light to show when they're being used, it's not hard to cover this up and resume covert recording. It's not hard to see why they've been nicknamed "pervert glasses" by many.

Norway's government isn't alone in announcing its misgivings for the latest wearable tech. Australia's online safety regulator has said the devices should automatically blur faces, and it's likely that country will be making more robust moves to limit problems caused by smartglasses.

And the harms do exist. According to the University of Sydney, smartglasses are being used extensively to record harassment. Without regulation, that sort of behaviour isn't going to go away.