Smart glasses ban: A third of Australians want a government crackdown on spy glasses

Glasses with hidden cameras and microphones are being sold in mainstream stores and promoted by A-list celebrities. But Aussies want them banned.

EXCLUSIVE

A third of Australians want smart glasses such as the Ray-Ban Metas promoted by Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth banned nationally, according to new data.

Online safety regulator eSafety has begun receiving formal complaints about the technology, which looks like regular eyewear but contains hidden cameras, microphones and often AI capabilities.

The exclusive News Corp survey of 2500 Australians found 33 per cent wanted smart glasses completely banned, with particularly high support among women (37 per cent) and respondents over the age of 60 (44 per cent).

Another 18 per cent would like smart glasses banned only in sensitive settings, such as schools and beaches.

Kris Jenner wears Ray-Ban Meta AI-powered glasses in this year’s Super Bowl campaign.

Privacy advocate David Vaile said he was encouraged by the clear statement of concern from the survey results.

“Let’s keep it clear, (Ray-Ban Metas) are Facebook glasses,” he said.

“The reason why you’d be concerned about someone wearing these Facebook glasses in front of you is (your data) is going into the Facebook data ocean and they have completely gone off the dial on AI.”

Mr Vaile, immediate past chair of the Australian Privacy Foundation, said it was possible for the government to regulate or ban smart glasses given they are a physical product.

“You can say ‘you can’t sell it in the shops’ or ‘you can’t import it’ or ‘you can sell it but it has to be disabled in a certain way’,” he said.

Data law expert Lyn Nicholson said recent changes to the Privacy Act, which introduced a statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy, were a step forward but would not cover all instances of a person being recorded without their consent.

“Say you are at a private party at a private home and someone films you and uploads it with the intent of diminishing your reputation, to make a fool of you – not defamation – that might be covered. But there needs to be an element of intent,” the Holding Redlich lawyer said.

She said it would not cover an incident where someone is filmed on a public beach.

A spokesman for the Attorney-General Michelle Rowland would not comment on banning smart glasses specifically but said the government was working on further reforms to ensure Australia’s privacy laws were fit for purpose in the digital age.

Meanwhile, an eSafety spokesman warned smart glasses could be used for image-based abuse, coercive control, the surreptitious production of child sexual abuse material, and by domestic violence perpetrators for tracking or sharing intimate content without consent.

“As these technologies become more mainstream, we expect to see new challenges unless safety guardrails are embedded into the design from the start,” he said.

For Ray-Ban Metas, a small light activates when users begin recording to notify those nearby.

However, methods to disable this safety feature are readily documented online.

Smart glasses have become increasingly mainstream over the past two years, largely driven by the launch of Ray-Ban Metas.

The terrorist that killed 14 people in New Orleans on New Year’s Day wore a pair while scouting the location for his truck ramming attack.

Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth and Kris Jenner all wore a pair for the product’s 2025 Superbowl ad.

Earlier this year, a US-based social media influencer was investigated by NSW Police after approaching and filming women using Ray-Ban Metas on Sydney and Melbourne beaches without their knowledge then posting the videos to his 1 million-plus followers.

NSW Police confirmed that “no further police action was taken” as “there were no criminal offences detected”.

A social media influencer approaches women on the sand and records them with his smart glasses without their knowledge. Source: Instagram.

TikTok banned the influencer at the time, and this week shut down a reboot account after it was reported by this masthead.

Instagram and YouTube, however, continue to allow his content.

A 26-year-old federal government worker named Lauren, who did not wish to provide her surname, said she was approached at Bondi by the influencer while wearing bikinis and reading alone. She didn’t realise his glasses could record her.

“I had no idea they even existed and it’s pretty gross they do,” she said.

“I don’t imagine people are using them to go sightseeing. I think they are using them for all the wrong reasons.”

TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF

1. Be aware smart glasses exist

If you can identify them on a user, you can avoid them.

A small light will activate near the temple on Ray Ban Metas, assuming they have not been altered to circumvent this.

You may also notice a wearer tapping the arm of their glasses to use its functions.

2. Call it out

If you believe you are being recorded and feel safe to do so, ask the person if they are recording you and to stop then walk away.

If they follow you, it may then qualify as stalking or harassment.

3. Report it

If you find compromising footage of yourself online that was recorded without your consent, report it to the platform – e.g. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok.

eSafety also has legal powers to act in cases of imaged-based abuse where intimate content is shared without consent. Make a report via esafety.gov.au/report

4. Reconsider buying them

Users who own smart glasses for non-malicious reasons may also be risking their own data privacy.

If you own a pair, read the terms and conditions and understand how your personal data – and that of the friends and family you record – is being used.

5. Access support

If smart glasses are being used for domestic and family violence, call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) for support.

If you are in danger, call triple-0.

6. Contact your local member or councillor

Write a letter or start a petition to let the government know your concerns.

Originally published as Smart glasses ban: A third of Australians want a government crackdown on spy glasses