This man was secretly snapped by someone with smartglasses. He’s not alone in calling that a violation of privacy
Guardian AU
•Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:00:20 GMT
📰 What Happened
A Melbourne man named Rhys has told the Guardian he was photographed without his knowledge at a Collingwood cafe by a stranger wearing Meta's Ray-Ban smartglasses, with the image sent to him via the dating app Grindr. Rhys says he noticed no flash or indicator light despite Meta Ray-Bans being designed with an LED to alert others to filming. The incident is part of growing public backlash against what some call 'pervert glasses', though people with disabilities point out the technology can also be life-changing for them.
🔍 The Backstory
Smartglasses with built-in cameras, microphones and AI assistants, led by Meta's Ray-Ban range, have surged in popularity, and low-cost rivals have also sold out in Australia amid warnings of a 'privacy nightmare'. The devices can record discreetly, raising questions about consent and surveillance in public spaces. The technology has prompted both calls for tougher privacy regulation and arguments that it offers significant accessibility benefits for people with disabilities.
🎯 Why It Matters
The case highlights a rapidly emerging tension between public privacy and miniaturised wearable recording technology that most people cannot easily detect. It points to the need for clearer rules and norms around consent for recording in public, and foreshadows likely regulatory action on smartglasses, which emerge at a time when the Australian attorney general has written to the privacy commissioner about the devices' implications for women and children.
A Melbourne man named Rhys has told the Guardian he was photographed without his knowledge at a Collingwood cafe by a stranger wearing Meta's Ray-Ban smartglasses, with the image sent to him via the dating app Grindr. Rhys says he noticed no flash or indicator light despite Meta Ray-Bans being designed with an LED to alert others to filming. The incident is part of growing public backlash against what some call 'pervert glasses', though people with disabilities point out the technology can also be life-changing for them.
Smartglasses with built-in cameras, microphones and AI assistants, led by Meta's Ray-Ban range, have surged in popularity, and low-cost rivals have also sold out in Australia amid warnings of a 'privacy nightmare'. The devices can record discreetly, raising questions about consent and surveillance in public spaces. The technology has prompted both calls for tougher privacy regulation and arguments that it offers significant accessibility benefits for people with disabilities.
The case highlights a rapidly emerging tension between public privacy and miniaturised wearable recording technology that most people cannot easily detect. It points to the need for clearer rules and norms around consent for recording in public, and foreshadows likely regulatory action on smartglasses, which emerge at a time when the Australian attorney general has written to the privacy commissioner about the devices' implications for women and children.