The Legal Light Justin Stack Is it legal to livestream someone secretly to social media? A disturbing development has emerged, with men wearing new Al smart glasses which have an inbuilt camera approaching women on a beach or on the street, secretly filming the interaction and livestreaming the video directly to social media without their knowledge. The glasses have two small inbuilt cameras and a microphone to record interactions secretly. They can livestream video to social media such as TikTok. The Meta glasses, which have been available in Australia since late 2024 for around $450, can also take calls, play music and send text messages. Several women have been horrified to find they were secretly filmed while talking to men who approached them. One woman told news.com.au she was polite to an American man who approached her and tried to get her contact details while she lay alone on Bondi Beach in a bikini. "At no point did he mention that he was filming me... I'd never even heard of people doing that," she said. She only discovered the man had livestreamed the video he took using his glasses when a friend saw the video on TikTok. It turned out a million people watched the videos the man took as he chatted up women. He uses such posts to offer demeaning advice on how to pick up women, and his followers make misogynistic comments. Stacks Law Firm lawyer Ashleigh Flanagan said the NSW law on filming someone in public has not kept up with new technology, such as the Meta smart glasses. "The existing law is limited to covering listening devices for secret audio recording," Ms Flanagan said. "The NSW Surveillance Devices Act requires both sides of a conversation to consent to it being recorded, so for example, it is not legal for one person to record a phone conversation without the other knowing. The maximum penalty is five years in jail. "The law permits filming in a public place, bug it is an offence to film someone secretly for sexual gratification, such as "upskirting", or filming sex with a hidden camera. "This new use of smart glasses to livestream a public conversation secretly does not seem to be covered by existing law, although secretly recording a conversation could be actionable." The smart glasses require the operator to press and hold a button on the frame constantly to capture a photo or video. "That could be the giveaway. If you notice someone constantly touching their glasses, tell them to take them off or buzz off," Ms Flanagan said. STACKS LAW FIRM Grant Avery Compensation Specialist No Win, No Fee Conditions apply 02 6592 6592 taree.stacklaw.com.au Partners in life The Legal Light Justin Stack Is it legal to livestream someone secretly to social media ? A disturbing development has emerged , with men wearing new Al smart glasses which have an inbuilt camera approaching women on a beach or on the street , secretly filming the interaction and livestreaming the video directly to social media without their knowledge . The glasses have two small inbuilt cameras and a microphone to record interactions secretly . They can livestream video to social media such as TikTok . The Meta glasses , which have been available in Australia since late 2024 for around $ 450 , can also take calls , play music and send text messages . Several women have been horrified to find they were secretly filmed while talking to men who approached them . One woman told news.com.au she was polite to an American man who approached her and tried to get her contact details while she lay alone on Bondi Beach in a bikini . " At no point did he mention that he was filming me ... I'd never even heard of people doing that , " she said . She only discovered the man had livestreamed the video he took using his glasses when a friend saw the video on TikTok . It turned out a million people watched the videos the man took as he chatted up women . He uses such posts to offer demeaning advice on how to pick up women , and his followers make misogynistic comments . Stacks Law Firm lawyer Ashleigh Flanagan said the NSW law on filming someone in public has not kept up with new technology , such as the Meta smart glasses . " The existing law is limited to covering listening devices for secret audio recording , " Ms Flanagan said . " The NSW Surveillance Devices Act requires both sides of a conversation to consent to it being recorded , so for example , it is not legal for one person to record a phone conversation without the other knowing . The maximum penalty is five years in jail . " The law permits filming in a public place , bug it is an offence to film someone secretly for sexual gratification , such as " upskirting " , or filming sex with a hidden camera . " This new use of smart glasses to livestream a public conversation secretly does not seem to be covered by existing law , although secretly recording a conversation could be actionable . " The smart glasses require the operator to press and hold a button on the frame constantly to capture a photo or video . " That could be the giveaway . If you notice someone constantly touching their glasses , tell them to take them off or buzz off , " Ms Flanagan said . STACKS LAW FIRM Grant Avery Compensation Specialist No Win , No Fee Conditions apply 02 6592 6592 taree.stacklaw.com.au Partners in life