The Australian Office of the Privacy Commissioner has initiated a formal investigation into Shenzhen Qingcheng, the company that developed the HeyCyan app integrated into Anko-branded smartglasses sold at Kmart. The decision follows the company’s failure to respond to official inquiries and concerns identified through third-party technical analysis and review of the entity’s privacy practices.
The smartglasses, which retail for $89 and can capture images and record high-definition video, generated significant public concern earlier this year. Kmart subsequently removed the product from its website, and the devices have become the subject of widespread debate regarding appropriate use in public spaces. A community petition opposing the technology has garnered more than 55,000 signatures, and multiple local councils across Australia have moved to restrict their use in venues including swimming pools and other public facilities. The federal government is also examining potential restrictions on smartglasses use within government workplaces.
Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind clarified that other companies involved in smartglasses manufacturing and distribution, including Meta and Google, will not be part of the current investigation. Kind noted a significant gap in existing privacy legislation, explaining that the Privacy Act applies only to organizations and government agencies, not individuals using the devices. This limitation means retailers may have minimal obligations if they do not directly collect personal information related to the devices.
Kind emphasized that software providers are typically the entities responsible for collecting and managing information under privacy law. She highlighted proposed government reforms that would strengthen privacy protections by replacing the current “reasonably necessary” test with a “fair and reasonable” standard. These changes would require organizations to consider factors including genuine consumer choice and the interests of children.
University of Sydney researchers analyzed 350 Instagram videos recorded on smartglasses between 2023 and 2026, documenting what they characterized as a trend toward inconspicuous, subjective-perspective recording. Within a subset of videos examined, approximately 60 percent of recorded interactions contained indicators of potential harassment or discomfort among subjects.
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