Norway is the latest country to push back against smart glasses. The government is preparing a bill for parliament that would temporarily ban the wearable devices — think Meta Ray-Bans and similar camera-equipped specs — in a range of public places, while regulators work out a permanent set of rules.
Digital affairs minister Torgeir Micaelsen framed the move as a privacy safeguard: he said he does not want a society where people worry about being photographed, filmed or audio-recorded without their knowledge in situations where they have always expected not to be monitored. The concern is straightforward — smart glasses look like ordinary eyewear, but they can capture photos, video and audio hands-free, and the person standing next to you has no obvious way to tell if they are recording.
The first draft of the ban targets places where privacy matters most: hospitals, schools, changing rooms and playgrounds. But officials have signalled the rules could stretch much further, potentially covering concerts, sports events, parks, beaches, museums and shopping centres across the country. Details are still being debated, including exactly which locations will be included. Private use would remain legal, and there may be exemptions for vulnerable groups who benefit from the technology's assistive features — for example, live audio or AI assistance for people with visual impairments.
Norway is not acting in a vacuum. Dutch eyewear chain Hans Anders has suspended sales of Ray-Ban Meta glasses, the UK Cinema Association is pushing back against the devices in screenings, and the French child welfare group E-enfance says it received dozens of reports during 2026 from women and children filmed with the glasses in public against their will. The backlash has landed on Meta too: a viral post in October 2026 claimed some pairs had been tampered with to disable the recording indicator light, though Meta maintains the camera is disabled if the light is covered or interfered with, and says the glasses pose fewer privacy risks than smartphones.
The numbers show why regulators are nervous. Meta has sold around nine million pairs of Ray-Ban glasses since launching them in 2023, with roughly seven million sold in 2025 alone — so the devices are no longer a niche gadget but a common sight on city streets.
For travellers, the practical takeaway is to pack accordingly if Norway is on your itinerary. Until the bill passes, there is no enforceable ban, and there is no confirmed date for when it might take effect. But if you wear smart glasses, expect restrictions in hospitals, schools, changing rooms and possibly much broader public venues — and be prepared to take them off when asked, just as you would with a camera in a museum or a phone in a theatre. The broader trend is worth watching too: Norway may be the first to legislate a temporary ban, but it likely will not be the last, and similar rules could spread to other European destinations.
