QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Ms ROWLAND (Greenway—Attorney-General) (14:28): I thank the member for Maribyrnong for her question and acknowledge her ongoing commitment to this government's reform of privacy. As smart glasses capable of capturing images and recording video become more affordable and accessible, community concerns are also growing about privacy, surveillance and the potential for misuse.
Recent media reports suggest a discounted AI enabled version has sold out across Australia. Last week, I asked the Privacy Commissioner to prioritise consideration of the privacy implications associated with this technology. The potential for these devices to be used to covertly record, track, stalk and harass requires prompt and careful consideration.
Their discreet design can make it difficult for people to know when they are being filmed, increasing the risk of unwanted surveillance and undermining Australians' ability to control how their personal information and images are collected. The increasing availability of this technology could have significant implications, particularly for women and children, who may be disproportionately exposed to inappropriate recording, harassment, intimidation or other harmful conduct.
Research from the University of Sydney found many women are being filmed in gyms, workplaces, shops and university campuses, despite expressing discomfort or refusing consent. Analysis of hundreds of Instagram videos captured using these devices found a staggering 60 per cent of point-of-view content contained behaviour classified as potential harassment. Let me be clear—this government stands against the use of smart glasses for nefarious purposes.
While state and territory laws already restrict the use of recording devices in some circumstances, the commissioner's expertise is critical in identifying emerging privacy risks and appropriate safeguards. The commissioner has noted that, where technology companies receive and store personal information collected through wearable devices, they must comply with privacy laws, but there are real questions as to whether they will be able to do so.
Robust privacy laws are essential to Australians' trust and confidence in the digital economy and the services provided by governments and industry. In our first term, we created a new statutory tort against serious invasions of privacy. We outlawed doxxing, and we significantly increased penalties for breaches.
The government will continue to progress work on a second tranche of legislative reforms to ensure our privacy laws are fit for the digital age. Australians rightly expect their privacy to be respected, and that is exactly what this government is focused on delivering.