The retailer pulled its A$89 Anko smart glasses from its website after a public campaign, as Australia’s privacy regulator investigates the Chinese maker of the HeyCyan app.
Kmart has removed its A$89 Anko camera glasses from its website amid public criticism and calls for federal intervention. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the glasses went on sale on July 28 and sold out in less than a week. Activist Gina Martin petitioned Kmart Group managing director Aleksandra Spaseska to remove them; GetUp said more than 57,000 people had joined the petition. Kmart continues to sell A$39 speaker glasses without a camera.
Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind announced an investigation into Shenzhen Qingcheng Future Technology, the Chinese company whose HeyCyan app is used with Anko glasses and cheaper models sold on Big W Marketplace and Amazon. Kind’s office began inquiries with Meta, Kmart, Google and Shenzhen Qingcheng on August 12 after Attorney-General Michelle Rowland asked it to examine the risk of women and children being filmed covertly.
Kind said Shenzhen Qingcheng had not responded to preliminary OAIC inquiries, leaving her without assurance that Australians’ personal data was being properly protected. The regulator urged retailers selling devices using HeyCyan to consider whether it was appropriate to keep making them available. Opening an investigation does not establish a breach; if serious or repeated privacy interference is found, the commissioner can seek civil penalties in the Federal Court.
University of Sydney researcher Milica Stilinovic said cheaper glasses could have questionable data-retention practices and recording lights that were difficult to see. Her team’s research, released in August, found that about 60% of reviewed Instagram videos in which women appeared unaware they were being filmed could be considered potential harassment.
Some local councils have already restricted filming. Brisbane banned non-consensual camera recording, including with smart glasses, at its 21 public pools; Yarra, Sydney and Canterbury-Bankstown adopted similar rules. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher asked the Australian Public Service Commission to consider banning the glasses in public-service workplaces. Meta says its glasses have a white recording light that cannot be turned off without disabling the camera.