Kmart's Smart Glasses have sold out. Their popularity pushed a national privacy probe
Kmart has released "surveillance wearables" to the mass market. But what could it mean for those on the other side of the frames?
Kmart's $89 Smart Glasses, an alternative to Meta's AI glasses, have sold out nationally. Released on 28 July, the glasses offered discreet surveillance technology at a fraction of the cost of premium Meta glasses. Privacy concerns prompted Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to appeal to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to investigate the potential privacy implications of the glasses.
Rowland emphasized the serious safety concerns for women and children, stating that unlike other technologies, smart glasses can be used more discreetly, making it harder to know when being recorded. Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind pointed out that the Privacy Act primarily protects businesses and government agencies, not individuals, meaning the OAIC must consider new laws to address privacy risks associated with surveillance wearables.
Major venues in the UK and Australia have already restricted or prohibited smart glass use, citing privacy concerns.
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