Norway is considering restrictions, including a possible ban, on smart glasses and other wearable devices equipped with cameras and internet connectivity amid growing concerns over privacy and surveillance.

The devices can capture images and videos, connect to the internet and may increasingly incorporate artificial intelligence-powered features such as facial recognition.

What Has Prompted Norway to Consider Restrictions?

Norway’s Digital Minister Karianne Tung has said the government is examining new regulations to control the use of camera-enabled wearable devices. The proposed measures could cover smart glasses made by companies such as Meta and Snap. Civil liberties and privacy advocates have raised concerns that the technology could allow people to be recorded without their knowledge or consent.

Why Is Norway Considering a Ban on Smart Glasses?

The government is concerned that camera-enabled smart glasses can record people discreetly in public places. Unlike smartphones, which are generally visible when someone is taking a photo or recording video, smart glasses can resemble ordinary eyewear and may make it difficult for people nearby to know that they are being recorded.

The concern becomes more serious when cameras are combined with microphones, internet connectivity and artificial intelligence. Such devices could potentially collect, process and transmit personal information in real time, raising questions about consent, surveillance and misuse.

A possible ban or tighter restrictions would therefore be aimed at preventing covert recording, unauthorised facial recognition and continuous monitoring of people in public spaces.

What Privacy Risks Do Camera-Enabled Wearables Create?

According to the government, smart glasses and other camera-enabled wearables present a distinct privacy challenge because they can be used discreetly in public spaces. A person wearing such a device could potentially record photographs or videos of people nearby without making it obvious that a camera is operating.

As the devices are connected to the internet, captured material could also be transmitted to other devices or online services.

Tung said there was a clear trend towards combining artificial intelligence with cameras and microphones embedded in everyday objects. She pointed to glasses, headphones, hats and other wearable items as examples of products where such technology is increasingly being integrated.

Could Facial Recognition Become a Major Concern?

The minister said the government must prevent these devices from being used to monitor other people in public places. Possible regulations could also include restrictions on using facial recognition technology to identify individuals in public spaces.

Technology experts have warned that combining cameras and microphones with artificial intelligence could significantly increase the amount of information such devices can collect and process.

If facial recognition becomes widely available on wearable devices, they could potentially be used to identify people in public places, monitor their movements and gather information about their activities.

How Could Norway Regulate Smart Glasses?

Norway plans to establish a group of experts to advise the government on ways to strengthen privacy protections. The objective is not necessarily to stop the development of wearable technology, but to establish safeguards against the risks that could emerge as such devices become more capable and widely used.

Future rules could establish clearer limits on recording people in public places, using camera-enabled wearables and deploying facial recognition technology.

The proposed restrictions could apply to smart glasses developed by major technology companies, including Meta and Snap, depending on the capabilities of the devices and how they are used.

Why Are Smart Glasses Becoming a Global Privacy Debate?

Technology companies are increasingly positioning smart glasses as a possible alternative or complement to smartphones. These devices are designed to provide hands-free access to digital services while allowing users to interact with technology without constantly using a phone.

However, their growing capabilities have raised difficult questions about how to balance convenience with individual privacy. A person using ordinary-looking glasses may potentially record others without attracting attention, making consent and transparency harder to enforce.

Norway’s move reflects a broader international debate over privacy as artificial intelligence, cameras, microphones and wearable technology become increasingly integrated.

What Should Smart Glasses Users Keep in Mind?

Consumers using camera-enabled wearables should respect local privacy laws, avoid recording people without their knowledge where consent is required, and use facial recognition or similar features cautiously. As governments consider tighter rules, users should also stay aware of changing regulations before using such devices in public spaces.

Japan is preparing to use generative artificial intelligence to detect investment fraud earlier, with the country’s Consumer Affairs Agency planning to analyse thousands of complaints for warning signs of suspicious schemes promising high returns.

How will Japan use AI to fight investment fraud?

The Consumer Affairs Agency said it will strengthen efforts against investment and other fraud promising lucrative returns by using generative AI to improve information analysis.

A new group established within the agency will use the technology to identify schemes that share patterns with previous fraud cases and malicious business operators. The aim is to spot potentially harmful operations earlier and allow authorities to intervene before losses grow.

What types of investment schemes will be targeted?

The agency announced measures against schemes that attract large amounts of money by promising high returns before eventually collapsing.

The AI-based approach will examine similarities between newly reported cases and past fraudulent schemes. By identifying recurring characteristics, authorities hope to recognise suspicious operations before they cause wider financial damage.

Why does Japan want to detect these schemes earlier?

Consumer Affairs Minister Hitoshi Kikawada stressed that recovering money can become difficult after victims have already suffered losses.

“Once damage occurs, it will be difficult to recover, so it is important to respond quickly,” Kikawada told a press conference.

The initiative is therefore focused on identifying warning signs at an earlier stage rather than relying only on action after consumers have already lost money.

How many consumer cases will the AI analyse?

The new group will operate a generative AI system to analyse cases reported to the National Consumer Affairs Center’s information system for consultation.

The system receives around 900,000 cases annually, giving authorities a large pool of consumer reports that can be examined for recurring fraud patterns and suspicious activity.

What warning signs will the system look for?

The AI system is designed to identify suspicious schemes and detect early signs that a business could fail.

It will analyse distinctive solicitation phrases and other characteristics extracted from previously reported cases. These indicators can then be compared with newer complaints to help authorities identify possible risks.

What could the AI system change for consumers?

The initiative is intended to help authorities move faster when similar fraud patterns begin appearing in consumer complaints. Earlier identification could give officials an opportunity to examine suspicious schemes before they expand and cause larger losses.

For consumers, the development also highlights the importance of caution when approached with investment opportunities promising unusually attractive returns. Suspicious offers should be examined carefully, particularly when they resemble schemes built around promises of high returns before eventually collapsing.

About the author — Ayesha Aayat writes on cybercrime, digital safety, and emerging online threats. Her work focuses on public awareness, legal clarity, and technology-driven risks.

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu has issued cease-and-desist notices to Apple and Google, directing both technology companies to remove a number of AI-powered “nudify” applications from their app stores within 28 days or risk potential civil penalties under California law.

The legal notices target 13 applications—eight available on Apple’s App Store and five on Google Play—that authorities say can generate non-consensual, sexually explicit AI images of real people using ordinary photographs without their permission.

California Cites Deepfake Laws in Enforcement Action

According to the City Attorney’s Office, the action relies on two California laws designed to address the misuse of artificial intelligence for creating intimate deepfake content.

One statute makes it a criminal offence to knowingly facilitate or recklessly assist in the creation of non-consensual intimate deepfakes. Another law, enacted in 2025, allows civil action against digital platforms that continue to host or distribute such applications after receiving formal notice, potentially exposing app stores to legal liability.

Officials argue that Apple and Google were previously informed about the presence of these applications but allegedly allowed them to remain available while continuing to process in-app purchases.

Chiu stated that beyond any financial benefit earned through platform commissions, the apps have the potential to cause significant emotional, psychological, and reputational harm to victims whose images are manipulated without consent.

Research Report Prompted Wider Scrutiny

The legal action follows reports published by the Tech Transparency Project, a nonprofit research organization that documented the availability of AI “nudify” applications on major app marketplaces.

A report released in January 2026 identified numerous apps capable of generating synthetic intimate images, while a follow-up investigation in April 2026 alleged that many of those applications remained available and continued generating revenue. The report also claimed that some apps carried age ratings that could make them accessible to younger users despite their intended functionality.

Apple and Google Respond

Following the legal notices, both companies confirmed they had taken action against some of the identified applications.

Google said it had suspended all five apps named in the notice from Google Play, citing violations of its policies governing sexually explicit content.

Apple stated that its App Store guidelines prohibit applications designed to create or distribute pornographic material. The company said it had removed three of the identified apps, terminated the associated developer accounts, and was continuing discussions with the developers of the remaining applications over alleged policy violations.

AI Deepfake Platforms Face Growing Legal Pressure

The latest enforcement effort forms part of a broader campaign by San Francisco authorities to combat the misuse of artificial intelligence for creating non-consensual intimate imagery.

City officials have previously pursued legal action against websites offering similar AI-based image-generation services. Researchers have also raised concerns that major online platforms may inadvertently contribute to the spread of such tools by allowing advertising or promotional content that directs users to them.

Meanwhile, debate continues at the federal level over stronger legal protections for victims of AI-generated intimate imagery. While proposed legislation such as the DEFIANCE Act seeks to expand victims’ ability to pursue civil claims, California’s existing laws provide broader mechanisms for holding online platforms accountable in certain circumstances.

Authorities have increasingly warned that the misuse of generative AI extends beyond synthetic imagery. According to federal law enforcement data, AI-enabled fraud contributed to hundreds of millions of dollars in financial losses during 2025, highlighting the growing challenge regulators face in addressing emerging forms of digital abuse.