Sydney’s Inner West Council has said it is planning to ban AI smart glasses in its venues and facilities, making it the latest Australian government body to put a limit on the use of the devices.
“The technological landscape is changing at breakneck speed, and that comes with benefits and risks. AI smart glasses are the perfect example,” Councillor Kerrie Fergusson said in a statement this week.
“For people with vision or hearing impairments, they offer a new level of independence. But they can also discreetly record high-definition video and live-stream, creating genuine privacy concerns.
“AI smart glasses are likely just the beginning of many new challenges for local councils. That's why Inner West Council is taking a proactive approach by developing a broader AI strategy.
“This isn't tearing down new technology like a bunch of 19th-century Luddites, but ensuring AI technology properly serves our community without compromising its privacy or civil liberties.”
Exemptions will be granted to individuals who rely upon the technology as an accessibility device.
The council also said it was planning to formulate an artificial intelligence policy.
The Inner West Council’s ban follows several similar policies recently announced around the country amid the rising popularity of smart glass devices. Western Australian and Victorian schools have now banned them, as have venues and facilities in the City of Sydney, aquatic centres, and several New South Wales beaches.
The federal government is also considering a ban, and a GetUp! Campaign is in full swing calling for more local councils to follow suit.
However, despite the growing number of restrictions being placed on their use, smart glass sales are booming. According to data compiled by technology research firm Omdia, global AI glasses shipments topped 4.2 million units in the first half of 2026, a 127 per cent year-on-year rise.
And while the cheap Anko models that Kmart recently sold out of may have made headlines in Australia, it’s Meta’s smart glass offering that is one of the key sales drivers.
“Growth in the AI glasses market in 1H26 was driven by Meta’s continued market momentum and a wave of new market entrants from China,” Qiran Ju, Senior Analyst at Omdia, said in a statement.
“Just as critically, vendors have made the value proposition immediately clear to buyers by focusing on hands-free photo and video capture, open-ear audio, and AI assistance within everyday frames”.
Jason Low, Research Director at Omdia, added that privacy concerns are becoming a “major driver” of fragmentation in the market.
“As scrutiny of camera-equipped AI glasses intensifies, tighter privacy settings and clearer messaging will not be enough,” Low said
“Companies must define exactly what always-on cameras capture, show users how that content is used, and guarantee it never reaches third parties."
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