Privacy watchdog launches investigation into China-based company behind Kmart ‘pervert glasses’ app
Australia's privacy regulator has opened a formal investigation into Shenzhen Qingcheng, the China-based company behind the HeyCyan app embedded in Kmart's low-cost smartglasses, after the company failed to respond to the commissioner's inquiries. The probe follows public concern about the glasses being used to covertly capture images and video.
Why this matters: Smartglasses that record high-definition video and sell for $89 are a mass-market surveillance device. Most people nearby have no idea they are being filmed. The app maker behind this one apparently did not bother responding to a national privacy regulator. That tells you something about how seriously some companies take accountability when their product is the problem. An investigation is a start, but the harder question is what enforcement actually looks like when the company sits in another country and has already stopped responding.
Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance · General readers · Policy
This summary is AI-assisted and may contain errors. It is an original briefing to help you gauge significance quickly — not a reproduction of the source. Always read the linked original before relying on it. See our methodology.