Kmart has launched an $89 pair of smart glasses capable of recording video, making calls and translating speech or text in real time — and they sold out online within days. Marketed under the retailer's in-house brand Anko and dubbed "Camera Glasses," the product looks, at first glance, like an ordinary pair of black-framed spectacles. But researchers and privacy experts are urging Australians to think carefully about what happens to the data these devices collect.
A Fraction of the Price, But the Same Privacy Questions
The Kmart glasses offer a dramatically cheaper entry point into wearable camera technology compared to rival products. Smart glasses developed by glasses maker Ray-Ban in partnership with Facebook parent company Meta start at $337, with the latest generation costing upwards of $700. A recent promotional campaign for the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, featuring celebrity Kylie Jenner, highlighted features including an ultra-HD camera, discreet open-ear Bluetooth speakers and real-time translation.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has argued the technology will become essential, claiming in July that people who don't adopt smart glasses will face a "pretty significant cognitive disadvantage" in the future. Other companies including Samsung, Rokid, Even Realities, Solos and XREAL are also developing or selling similar products.
But the lower price tag of Kmart's offering doesn't necessarily mean lower risk, according to researchers. Milica Stilinovic, a postdoctoral research associate for the Governing Immersive Tech Project at the University of Sydney, described smart glasses simply as "computers for your face."
"If the price is cheaper … if you're not paying at the bridge, you may pay at the toll," she said, raising concerns about how user data is collected, stored and monetised. "We still need to ask ourselves, this data that we're essentially generating for these companies — how is it being handled, by whom and at what cost?"
What Smart Glasses Actually Collect
Depending on the product, smart glasses may carry AI-enabled programs capable of analysing eye movements, head tracking and voice patterns. Stilinovic warned the devices can build a detailed picture of a wearer's daily life — tracking locations, mapping living spaces and logging behaviour at specific times.
While facial recognition is not active in most smart glasses currently on the market, a 2024 experiment by Harvard University students demonstrated how quickly that gap could close. By combining off-the-shelf smart glasses with facial search engines, AI language tools and publicly available databases, the students were able to identify strangers' names, home addresses and phone numbers simply by looking at them.
Dangerous and Prohibited Use Already Documented in Australia
Research conducted in Australia adds further cause for concern. Fareed Kaviani, a research fellow at the Emerging Technologies Research Lab at Monash University, co-authored a 2024 paper examining how Australians use smart glasses. Of more than 1,000 people surveyed, 13.5 per cent of smart glasses owners admitted to dangerous use — such as wearing the devices while driving or cycling. Around 17 per cent admitted to prohibited behaviour, including recording others without their consent.
Kaviani noted the research was based on 2022 data, "when the device was not as well known and ubiquitous as it probably is today," adding that self-reported figures may not capture the full picture. "The real prevalence of dangerous or prohibitive use is difficult to establish. It could be higher, it could be lower," he said.
His research also found that younger Australians were more likely to own the technology, yet age-related safeguards around smart glasses remain unclear.
What Happens Next for Consumers and Regulation?
As affordable smart glasses move from niche gadget to mainstream retail shelf, experts say the conversation around regulation, consent and data sovereignty needs to keep pace. Stilinovic argues that wearable technology raises complex questions regardless of its price point — and that cheaper access doesn't mean fewer risks for consumers or bystanders.
For now, Australian shoppers can pick up a pair of camera-equipped glasses for less than a restaurant dinner. The harder question — what happens to everything those glasses see — remains largely unanswered.
