eSafety Wants Smart Glasses to Blur Faces in Australia
Synopsis
Australia’s online safety regulator is calling for smart glasses to blur bystanders’ faces by default, strengthening privacy safeguards as camera-equipped wearables become cheaper and more widely available.
Australia's eSafety Commissioner has issued new guidelines for the industry to automatically blur faces captured without consent and to make it more evident when the recording is of good quality.
The tips are issued as information about the popularity of camera-carrying wearables and worries about hidden recording, online harassment and the use of information of unwitting wearers increases.
eSafety Sets Out Design Changes
The eSafety Commissioner report, 'Smart glasses and online safety: When the camera disappears', recommends that privacy and safety features be embedded in smart glasses rather than left to the user to operate properly.
Some of the suggestions include automatic blurring of faces, markers for recording that are not easily turned off and measures to prevent anyone from pointing at you without your awareness.
eSafety also suggests that the function of livestreaming from smart glasses be delayed and the recording be turned off if the glasses are not being worn.
Part of the reason for the recommendations given by the regulator is evidence of misuse. According to a 2024 survey of Australian adults, 17% of smart glasses owners said that they used the gadgets in an inappropriate manner, such as recording someone without their permission or filming somewhere they were not supposed to.
Privacy Reform Adds Business Context
The recommendations coincide with the federal government's ongoing process of privacy-law reform. The government is not contemplating an import ban on smart glasses, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said on August 31, but draft changes to the rules cover privacy concerns with new technology.
The reforms would include tougher consent standards, a fair and reasonable test for collecting personal data and a proposed right to erasure for data collected by major digital platforms.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) surveyed 1,504 Australians between March 16 and 30 for the 2026 Australian Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey. It discovered 87% had increased concerns about privacy compared with five years ago and 64% had concerns about an organisation's handling of their personal information.
The recommendations make an additional contribution to the privacy obligations for devices that collect, process or transmit data on people nearby, for businesses in Australia and other technology companies in the United States.
Source: Smart Company
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
