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Australia has launched an investigation into the storage and collection of personal data from low-cost smart glasses, the country’s data protection agency said Wednesday.
The investigation is targeting Shenzhen Qingcheng, a company based in China, whose HeyCyan app powers the Anko glasses. These smart glasses are sold for 89 Australian dollars (55 euros) throughout Australia.
The Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) indicated that it last month sent requests to several companies involved in the manufacture of these glasses — including Meta, Kmart, Google and Shenzhen Qingcheng — regarding how they collect and store data.
“Without a response from Shenzhen Qingcheng to the OAIC’s preliminary requests, I have no assurance that the company is protecting the personal data of Australians, as required by the Privacy Act,” said Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind.
This silence “raises concerns about the entity’s practices, procedures and systems for protecting the personal information it holds,” she added.
The commissioner urged retailers to exercise caution. “Given the specific risks that the OAIC has identified regarding the HeyCyan app, I encourage the retailers concerned to consider whether it is appropriate to continue selling these devices.”
Smart glasses can take photos, videos, make calls, translate texts or even interact with chatbots using artificial intelligence (AI).
In several countries, voices have been raised against the infringements on privacy made possible by these devices, including videos of women filmed and published online without their consent.
The Norwegian government announced in October that it wanted to suspend the use of these glasses in certain public spaces.
In France, the child protection group e-Enfance reported in September that it had received twenty reports of women filmed without their consent, in most cases with Meta glasses.
