These $89 AI glasses sold out overnight, and they’re already sparking privacy fears
Kmart's budget AI smart glasses are flying off shelves, but they're also reigniting a heated debate over privacy, surveillance, and whether wearable cameras have become a little too normal.
Australia's Kmart has sold out of Anko AI Camera Glasses, priced at AU$89, sparking privacy concerns. These glasses, which offer similar features to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, such as photo capture, HD video recording, AI assistance, music playback, and hands-free calling, have raised questions about the implications of affordable wearable cameras.
The glasses run on HeyCyan software, similar to other low-cost smart glasses, and privacy experts have expressed alarm over the potential for misuse due to their discreet nature. Tom Sulston, head of policy at Digital Rights Watch, has characterized camera-equipped smart glasses as a "privacy nightmare," highlighting the difficulty in determining when individuals are being recorded.
Australia's privacy regulator has acknowledged public concern and is monitoring the situation, while Meta has implemented measures to prevent recording when the device's privacy LED is obstructed. Google is reportedly developing its own tracker, the Pixel Tag, to address the lack of a first-party solution in its ecosystem.
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