Key facts
- Kmart's Anko-branded camera glasses, priced at $89, have sold out across Australia.
- The glasses can capture images and record high-definition videos.
- Digital rights experts describe the devices as a "privacy nightmare" due to potential for non-consensual filming.
- The Anko glasses use HeyCyan software, which supports AI assistant functions.
- Meta's similar Ray-Ban smart glasses have also faced privacy backlash.
- The Australian Information Commissioner is monitoring the technology and its compliance with privacy laws.
Kmart has sold out of its Anko-branded camera glasses, priced at $89, across Australia, a move that digital rights advocates warn could lead to a "privacy nightmare." The clear-lens, black-rimmed glasses, which can capture images and record high-definition videos, are styled after Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, which retail from $337. The Anko glasses utilize HeyCyan software, enabling features like music playback, call answering, and AI assistance, with photos and videos transferable from the device. This software is also found in other budget camera glasses available online.
Privacy concerns surrounding smart glasses with cameras have been prominent since Meta launched its own version. Critics have dubbed them "pervert glasses" due to their potential for covert recording in public spaces. While Meta's glasses feature an indicator light, reports suggest users have still engaged in covert recording, and that moderators have reviewed intimate footage. Meta has since implemented software updates to disable the camera if the light is tampered with and has begun removing videos of users harassing strangers. The technology has faced bans in New York courts, the US Air Force, and at a hacker convention.
Tom Sulston, head of policy at Digital Rights Watch, stated that smart glasses with cameras highlight how Australian privacy laws lag behind technological advancements. He expressed concern about the potential for misogynistic social media influencers to use these devices for harassment, particularly in sensitive locations. A spokesperson for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner confirmed awareness of community concerns and stated that organizations collecting personal information are subject to privacy laws. Kmart responded by calling the glasses part of an "established and increasingly mainstream category of wearable technology" and urged customers to use them responsibly and in accordance with laws and privacy expectations.