TLDR
Kmart removed its Anko camera glasses after Australia's privacy regulator opened a formal investigation into the Chinese developer behind the HeyCyan app on 7 October 2026. Shenzhen Qingcheng did not respond to preliminary inquiries from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, which says it has no assurance Australians' data is protected.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
What Kmart did and why
Kmart pulled its Anko camera glasses from sale after the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) opened a formal investigation into Shenzhen Qingcheng Future Technology Co. Ltd on 7 October 2026.[1] Shenzhen Qingcheng makes the HeyCyan application that powers the glasses. The $89 glasses sold out within a week of their July launch, so many Australians already own a device whose app maker is now under formal investigation.[2]
The OAIC had been watching the smart glasses market since early 2026 and sent preliminary inquiries to Shenzhen Qingcheng, alongside Meta, Google and Kmart, from 12 August 2026, asking how their devices record information, who can access it and where it is stored.[1] Shenzhen Qingcheng did not respond, and that silence turned a monitoring exercise into a formal investigation.
Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind said: "In the absence of any response from Shenzhen Qingcheng to the OAIC's preliminary inquiries, I have no assurance that it is protecting personal data of Australians as required by the Privacy Act."[1] Kind said the non-response raises concerns about whether the company's practices meet Australian Privacy Principle 1 (APP 1), which requires entities to have clear systems for protecting the personal information they hold.[1]
The exposure extends beyond Kmart. The HeyCyan app powers low-cost smart glasses sold through Big W Marketplace and Amazon as well, enabling music playback, calls and voice assistance on those devices.[1] Kind was direct: "Given the particular risks the OAIC has identified with the HeyCyan app, I would urge responsible retailers to consider whether it is appropriate to continue making these devices available."[1]
What the regulator can now do
The OAIC said it will use its full range of powers, including issuing compulsory information-gathering notices, to examine how Shenzhen Qingcheng handles personal data.[1] Preliminary inquiries are voluntary; compulsory notices carry legal weight, and the developer cannot simply stay silent once they arrive.
Kmart still sells $39 speaker glasses with no camera, and had not commented when B&T reported the removal.[2] For retailers and brands, the lesson is uncomfortable: when an offshore app supplier stays silent on a regulator's questions, the Australian business selling the hardware carries the reputational exposure first. Any brand putting a camera, microphone or companion app in front of Australian shoppers should expect to be asked how that data is handled, and to need an answer from its supplier.
SOURCES & CITATIONS
- Kmart removes camera glasses from site as Privacy Commissioner launches investigation, B&T
- OAIC opens investigation into maker of HeyCyan smart glasses phone app
- Kmart's $89 camera glasses sell out as privacy concerns mount, ChannelNews
- Australia probes app used in cheap smart glasses over privacy fears, France 24/AFP
- Smart glasses face widening bans, probes and privacy controls worldwide, Biometric Update
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why did Kmart remove the Anko camera glasses from sale?
Are other retailers affected by the HeyCyan investigation?
What can the OAIC do now that a formal investigation is open?
Xaviery Malinao writes for Prompt the Market on how brands and agencies are adapting to answer engines, drawing on Bushnote's work with clients across search, AI search and content.
