Overview
- Kmart’s $89 Anko camera glasses sold out as public concern spiked, spreading a form of wearable recording technology beyond earlier high‑end models and lowering the barrier to covert filming.
- Attorney‑General Michelle Rowland has asked the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to prioritise a market review, and the OAIC says it is monitoring the devices and may recommend legal change.
- University of Sydney research on so‑called “ambient capture” found wearer‑perspective videos often show potential harassment, with researchers reporting roughly 60 percent of studied interactions flagged as harmful to women.
- Australia’s Privacy Act regulates businesses and government but not many individual recordings stored on personal devices, leaving an enforcement gap for locally kept wearable footage.
- Practical responses are emerging: developers have released detection apps, campaigners launched petitions calling on retailers to act, schools and venues are updating rules, and policymakers are weighing broader privacy reform such as a digital duty of care.