Arabic version: تحذير بشأن النظارات الذكية والإبلاغ عن تأخيرات في مطار سيدني

According to The Guardian, Attorney General Michelle Rowland has written to the privacy commissioner about potential concerns surrounding smartglasses, while travellers at Sydney airport have faced major delays and cancellations linked to air traffic control staffing issues.

Rowland said smartglasses, which are growing in popularity, could have significant implications for women and children. She said they could be disproportionately affected by inappropriate recording, harassment, surveillance or other harmful conduct. In a statement, Rowland said privacy was essential to living with dignity and without fear, and that smartglasses could be used more discreetly than other technology, making it harder for people to know when they were being recorded.

The attorney general said the government was continuing work on the next phase of privacy reforms to ensure privacy laws were fit for purpose in the digital age. Her letter to the privacy commissioner came as the products drew attention over their potential privacy effects.

At Sydney airport, Airservices Australia reported operational restrictions to safely manage projected airborne and departure demands. Airlines were advised that staffing shortages at Airservices Australia had caused the disruption. Delays of up to 120 minutes were recorded across 75 Qantas and Jetstar flights, alongside four cancellations. Virgin Australia recorded delays across 50 flights, while Rex off-loaded passengers after delays of up to an hour on the tarmac.

The Airlines for Australia and New Zealand chief executive, Stephen Beckett, described the disruptions as unacceptable and said “enough is enough”. He said Airservices Australia needed to support its traffic controllers and ensure staffing levels and rosters were robust enough to prevent such delays.