Sensible glasses and trackers ‘outpacing the law’ as tech‑facilitated abuse rises

Domestic violence advocates say they’re more and more alarmed by how simply covert monitoring units and digicam‑geared up good glasses could be purchased, warning the expertise is being weaponised to observe, stalk and management victims.

The units — some no larger than a coin and marketed as “nanny cams” or “pet trackers” — could be bought for as little as $20, with no age checks, no identification necessities and no limits on how they’re used.

Advocates say the surge in low cost surveillance tech together with good glasses is fuelling a brand new wave of coercive management, with perpetrators capable of secretly observe companions, file personal conversations and monitor actions in actual time.

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“Technology-facilitated abuse is an increasingly common tactic of domestic, family and sexual violence, with people using violence weaponising connected devices and digital platforms to monitor, stalk and control,” Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin mentioned.

“Technologies such as trackers and smart glasses can create new opportunities for abuse if safety risks are not considered in their design.

“Listening to and designing with people with lived experience of domestic, family and sexual violence helps see around corners and anticipate how technologies may be weaponised.

“Designing for safety requires technology providers to identify and reduce risks before products and services can be misused.

“Governments, regulators and industry all have a role in ensuring technologies are designed to be safe and harder to weaponise – not solely responding after the harm has occurred.”

Human rights lawyer and anti-domestic violence advocate Kon Karapanagiotidis mentioned the shortage of safeguards round rising client tech was already inflicting hurt.

“This is appalling and shocking and shows the urgent need for reform, oversight and safeguards with new technology which is being exploited and weaponised by violent men to continue their cycle of violence, control and intimidation of women,” he mentioned.

“From Meta glasses to trackers, the Australian public have had enough and we need government intervention and regulation now.”

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland mentioned the federal government is looking for public session on the expertise.

“We are seeking views from Australians about new technologies, including wearable information processing devices, such as smart glasses, and the ways in which privacy can help protect people in this digital age,” Rowland mentioned.

“We haven’t ruled anything out; this is very much a good-faith consultation.”

Advocates say victims are more and more discovering trackers hidden in purses, vehicles, prams and even kids’s toys — usually solely after the abuse escalates.

They warn the expertise is “outpacing the law”, with police and courts struggling to maintain up with how shortly perpetrators are adopting new units.

The Greens plan to introduce a invoice to ban the importation of glasses which have the capability to file folks with out their data or consent.

“These covert wearables are a disturbing technology. They’re built to let someone film you without your knowledge in a change room, on the street, or at your kid’s swimming lesson, and our law does nothing about it,” Greens digital rights spokesperson Senator David Shoebridge mentioned.

“Big tech won’t police itself, it never has. That’s why we need parliament to act now and stop the influx of these devices into Australia.”

Authorities say covert surveillance can breach intervention orders, privateness legal guidelines and stalking offences.

In Adelaide on Tuesday, a person was charged with allegedly attaching a monitoring machine to a automotive owned by “woman known to him”.

Police urge anybody who suspects they’re being tracked or recorded to hunt assist instantly and never take away units themselves, as doing so can compromise investigations.