Allied Intelligence — 2026-09-21

Australia Considers Banning Smart Glasses in Government Buildings Over Espionage and Data Leak Risks

BLUFAustralia will likely impose binding restrictions on smart glasses in Commonwealth buildings within six months, establishing a policy benchmark that allied governments and major employers will replicate.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher asked the Australian Public Service Commission on September 17 for advice on whether smart glasses capable of covert recording should be prohibited or restricted across Commonwealth workplaces, including what exemptions might apply 1. Gallagher said the devices "raise legitimate privacy and security concerns" given their recording capability and called for "clear and consistent guidance for public servants" 1. The government has separately asked the national Privacy Commissioner to give smart glasses "priority consideration" citing community concerns 1. Bloomberg and IBTimes Australia reported the review would cover Commonwealth offices, parliamentary facilities and administrative departments, and noted comparable restrictions already in place in Oslo schools, courtrooms in England and Wales, and US Air Force operational bases 23. IBTimes additionally reported that Telstra, Commonwealth Bank, Microsoft and AGL are joining a related federal roundtable while Optus conducts its own internal policy review 3.

Analysis
The government will likely convert Finance Minister Gallagher's request for advice into binding restrictions on smart glasses in Commonwealth buildings within the next six months, moving beyond exploratory review toward enforceable workplace rules. Parallel moves, a referral to the Privacy Commissioner and a corporate roundtable with Telstra, Commonwealth Bank, Microsoft and AGL, signal coordinated momentum across public and private sectors, pressuring the Commission to deliver actionable guidance rather than defer. The resulting guidance, once issued, will set a benchmark that state governments and private employers reference when drafting their own device policies. This judgment carries high confidence, reflecting an explicit ministerial mandate, a defined advisory pathway, and multiple regulatory tracks moving in parallel.
4 sources
  1. Government considers smart glasses ban for public servants - ABC News (Australia)
  2. Australia Mulls Ban on Smart Glasses in Federal Office Buildings - Bloomberg
  3. Australia Considers Banning Smart Glasses in Government Buildings Over Espionage and Data Leak Risks - International Business Times Australia
  4. Australia Considers Banning the Use of Smart Glasses in Government Buildings - U.S. News & World Report

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