The Australian government is considering a ban on smart glasses in public offices and buildings. The proposed ban, which would apply to all camera-equipped smart glasses, would be world-leading, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government. It would be the first time a government had prohibited the privacy-invading technology across all of its departments.
Court officials in England and Wales last month said smart glasses had been banned in court buildings.
Australia’s Public Services Minister, Katy Gallagher said she was seeking advice on a potential ban. “We need clear and consistent guidance for public servants. Smart glasses can raise legitimate privacy and security concerns, particularly because of their ability to record and capture information,” she said.
The wearable tech has been branded by some as “pervert glasses”. Women have complained about being filmed without their knowledge or consent by men expressing romantic interest in them, who then upload the videos to the internet.
A woman, Toluwa Omitowoju told the media last month that she discovered being secretly filmed by a man wearing Meta’s AI-powered smart glasses when friends and people she hadn’t talked to in years sent her a video posted on social media.
The Los Angeles Times reported that more than 70 people in the US are suing Meta over allegations that the glasses captured intimate images of them and shared them with staff responsible for reviewing and labelling photos and videos.
