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Norway plans temporary ban on smart glasses in some public places

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

4 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Norway's government is planning legislation to temporarily restrict the use of camera-enabled smart glasses, such as Meta's Ray-Ban glasses, in certain public places including parks, beaches, museums, shopping centers, schools, daycare centers, healthcare facilities, gyms and public events. Private use would still be allowed, and the ban would not affect sales of the devices. Torgeir Micaelsen, Norway's minister of digital affairs, said he is concerned about new technology enabling people to be photographed, filmed or audio-recorded without their knowledge. The Labour-led minority government needs support from other parties to pass the bill, which it plans to submit as soon as possible.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Norway's government plans a temporary ban on camera-enabled smart glasses in certain public places.

    Reported byLeftRight

  2. Proposed restricted locations include parks, beaches, museums, shopping centers, schools, daycare centers, healthcare facilities, gyms and public events.

    Reported byLeftRight

  3. Private use of the glasses would still be allowed, and the sale of the devices is not banned.

    Reported byLeft

  4. Minister Torgeir Micaelsen said he is worried about people being recorded without their knowledge.

    Reported byLeftRight

  5. The Labour-led minority government needs support from other parties in parliament to pass the bill.

    Reported byLeft

  6. There is already a growing patchwork of restrictions on smart glasses elsewhere, including in UK and US courtrooms and some pubs, cinemas and restaurants.

    Reported byLeft

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Both left outlets use straightforward, descriptive headlines stating that Norway is banning or planning to ban smart glasses in public places, with Business Insider adding a note that it is temporary.

    Norway temporarily bans Meta glasses in public spaces
    Business InsiderLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    Mantle’s analysis has no note on this side yet. One of its headlines is shown.

    Norway eyes temporary ban of smart glasses
    France 24CenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    Fox News frames the story around the impact on travelers and tourists visiting Norway, emphasizing it as a popular vacation destination affected by the proposed rule.

    Privacy fears push vacation spot to consider ban on Sensational language“favorite accessory”Adds subjective emphasis about travelers' preferences not established as fact.More neutral: smart glassesDisagree with this highlight? for travelers
    Fox NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    Bad news

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right1

    favorite accessory

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    Bad newsMore neutral: Note for

    Characterizes the news as negative rather than stating it neutrally.

    Bad news if you planned on capturing photos of the majestic fjords in your Meta Ray-Bans.

    Used byBusiness Insider (Left)

  • Sensational language

    favorite accessoryMore neutral: smart glasses

    Adds subjective emphasis about travelers' preferences not established as fact.

    Privacy fears push vacation spot to consider ban on favorite accessory for travelers

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

  • specific locations covered by the ban
  • privacy concerns about covert recording
  • comparison to existing restrictions elsewhere
See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

1 outlet
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • France 24Center

    Norway eyes temporary ban of smart glasses

    Norway's government said Monday it wants a temporary ban on the use of smart glasses in certain public places, citing privacy concerns, notably recording images without the knowledge of those filmed. …

    Read at France 24 (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • impact on tourists and travelers
  • specific public locations affected
  • official government concerns about covert recording

Leaves out

  • that private use of the glasses would remain allowed
  • comparison to existing restrictions in other countries

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Privacy fears push vacation spot to consider ban on Sensational language“favorite accessory”Adds subjective emphasis about travelers' preferences not established as fact.More neutral: smart glassesDisagree with this highlight? for travelers

    AI smart glasses at beaches, parks, museums and shopping centers could be banned in Norway over growing concerns about the hidden recording of citizens.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    The Guardian, Oct 5, 12:11 PM EDT

  • Center

    23 hr 52 min later

    Its first report, Oct 6, 12:03 PM EDT

  • Right

    7 hr 57 min later

    Its first report, Oct 5, 8:08 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The GuardianLeftOct 5, 12:11 PM EDT
  2. Business InsiderLeftOct 5, 1:44 PM EDT
  3. Fox NewsFar RightOct 5, 8:08 PM EDT
  4. France 24CenterOct 6, 12:03 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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