Norway targets AI glasses as Cyprus watches privacy debate

Norway is moving to temporarily ban AI-powered smart glasses in a range of public spaces, as concerns grow across Europe over devices capable of photographing, filming and recording people without their knowledge. The Norwegian government said on Monday that it plans to bring legislation before parliament as quickly as possible, while a group of experts will examine how wearable technology should be regulated permanently. Possible restrictions could cover parks, beaches, museums, shopping centres and public events, as well as schools, kindergartens, playgrounds and youth clubs. The government is also considering restrictions in places where privacy is particularly sensitive, including doctors’ surgeries, healthcare facilities, swimming pools and gyms with changing rooms and showers. Universities and other educational institutions could also be included. Digitalisation and Public Governance Minister Torgeir Micaelsen said he was concerned about powerful new technology being introduced in situations where people risk being photographed, filmed or recorded without knowing it. “We do not want a society where people are worried about hidden audio recordings, photography and filming in places and situations where they are used to being without surveillance,” he added. However, Norway is not considering a blanket ban. Private use would continue to be permitted, while exemptions are expected where people are not at risk of being recorded without consent. The government also plans exceptions for vulnerable groups and certain socially beneficial uses. Officials will now examine how broadly the restrictions should apply, including whether they should cover glasses with cameras and microphones, devices combining cameras with AI functions, and other body-worn technology equipped with cameras, audio recording or AI. The latest move follows an earlier push by Norway to tighten the rules surrounding smart glasses. In August, the government said devices combining AI with cameras and microphones increasingly placed privacy under pressure, with then digitalisation minister Karianne Tung calling for stricter regulation in workplaces and other premises. The Norwegian proposal comes as scrutiny of smart glasses intensifies elsewhere in Europe. Dutch eyewear retailer Hans Anders recently suspended sales of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses in the Netherlands and Belgium, citing privacy concerns, according to Reuters. In Britain, pub operator Wetherspoon has restricted their use, while similar concerns have emerged in the US over whether people can be recorded without being sufficiently aware that a wearable camera is operating. The debate is also relevant to Cyprus, where there is currently no specific ban on AI glasses equivalent to the measure being prepared in Norway. Their use nevertheless falls within a wider European and Cypriot framework covering personal data, video recording and artificial intelligence. European guidance states that images or audiovisual recordings of identifiable people may constitute personal data. Although purely personal or household activity may fall outside the GDPR, that exemption is interpreted narrowly where recording extends into public areas or involves broader processing. The guidance also stresses that organisations using video surveillance must establish an appropriate legal basis and comply with principles including transparency, necessity and data minimisation. In Cyprus, meanwhile, responsibility for implementing the EU Artificial Intelligence Act is shared between several authorities. The Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy coordinates implementation nationally, while the Commissioner of Electronic Communications acts as the single point of contact and a market surveillance authority. The Commissioner for Personal Data Protection also has market-surveillance responsibilities for certain high-risk AI systems and responsibility for enforcing prohibited AI practices where these fall within the Commissioner’s area of competence. In addition, Cyprus has designated the Data Protection Commissioner, the Ombudsman and the Attorney-General as authorities responsible for protecting fundamental rights in connection with high-risk AI systems, with those powers taking effect from August 2, 2026, according to the government framework. That means the growing use of AI-enabled glasses in Cyprus sits at the intersection of existing GDPR obligations and the newer AI regulatory framework, even though the government has not announced a Norway-style prohibition on their use in parks, shops, schools or other public spaces. The Norwegian government said “its temporary ban is intended to provide time for a wider public debate and a more detailed assessment before permanent rules for wearable AI technology are introduced.”