Smart glasses alarm in Norway! Ban proposed in parks, beaches, and schools

The Norwegian government is preparing a new regulation on the use of smart glasses with camera features. The proposal from the minority government led by the Labour Party aims to prevent the recording of people's images without their knowledge and consent.

The government's proposal foresees a temporary restriction on the use of smart glasses in areas such as parks, beaches, museums, shopping malls, schools, kindergartens, health facilities, gyms, and outdoor events.

The government, preparing to submit the draft to parliament, is seeking the support of other political parties for the adoption of the regulation.

"We Don't Want to Live Without Knowing We're Being Recorded"

Digital Affairs and Public Administration Minister Torgeir Micaelsen said that the main purpose of the regulation is to protect privacy.

Micaelsen,"İnsanların habersizce kaydedildiği, fotoğraflarının ya da görüntülerinin çekildiği bir toplum istemiyoruz"ifadelerini kullandı.

Hükümet yetkilileri, düzenlemenin toplumda insanların sürekli gözetlendiği yönündeki endişeyi azaltmayı hedeflediğini belirtti. Micaelsen ayrıca kalıcı düzenlemelerin hazırlanması için uzman bir grubun çalışmalara başladığını açıkladı.

Kadınların Haberi Olmadan Çekilen Görüntüler Gündemde

Norveç'in hamlesi, özellikle Meta tarafından Ray-Ban ve Oakley markaları altında piyasaya sunulan akıllı gözlüklere yönelik tartışmaların arttığı dönemde geldi.

The French child‑rights organization e‑Enfance received complaints about roughly 20 images that were taken last month without the women’s consent. Most of the images were recorded with Meta’s smart glasses and later shared on social media.

After the posts, it was reported that women were the target of insulting messages, and the Paris Public Prosecution Office opened an investigation on the matter.

Oslo Launched a Ban in Schools

Norway's capital Oslo became the first local authority to ban smart glasses equipped with cameras in schools.

Calls for similar regulations are growing in the European Union and the United Kingdom as well. At the heart of the debate is the possibility that smart glasses could record people around the user without them noticing.

Meta officials, however, say that the LED light in the glasses glows during photo or video capture and that this feature cannot be disabled. The company argues that the light alerts people around that a recording is taking place.

Following the temporary regulation proposed by the Norwegian government, more comprehensive and permanent rules governing the use of smart glasses in public spaces are expected to be drafted.