Tonight, I'd like to raise an important consideration in the growing conversation about smart glasses: accessibility. There are legitimate and significant concerns about smart glasses being used to record people without their knowledge or consent. We need to take those concerns seriously. People who misuse this technology and cause harm should face the consequences. Everyone deserves to have their privacy respected.

We must find a way forward that protects people from violations of their privacy, while also recognising that smart glasses are a valuable assistive technology for people who are blind or have low vision, as well as for people with other disabilities. The glasses can help people with everyday tasks, such as reading a book, identifying the correct settings on a washing machine or getting the most accurate directions they can to their local cafe. For some people, this technology can make a real difference to their independence and their ability to participate in everyday life. Importantly, some smart glasses can process visual information in real time to support disabled people, without necessarily recording or storing the footage.

I've been speaking with Blind Citizens Australia. They are the national peak-body organisation for people who are blind and vision impaired. They have shared that they support measures that prevent the misuse of smart glasses and emphasise that there must be protections for people's privacy, while emphasising to us, as legislators, clearly, that there must be exemptions for people who use these technologies for accessibility reasons. Any changes must not undermine existing disability rights or impact reasonable-adjustment obligations.

I also want to raise that, as individuals, we must be mindful of how we talk about this technology. People who are blind or who have lower vision should not have to contend with suspicion or harassment simply because they use smart glasses to navigate the world around them. We must protect people's right to privacy and safety without making life harder for disabled people. I don't want to see disabled people caught in the crossfire because of somebody else's predatory or unacceptable behaviour.

It's encouraging to see that my home state of Western Australia is taking the lead on restricting smart glasses in certain settings, including in classrooms. WA local governments, including the City of Vincent, are also considering restrictions in facilities such as public swimming pools and gyms. These conversations are important, and it is encouraging that the proposed restrictions recognise the need for exemptions for people who use smartglasses as disability aids, because again—as we find a way together to balance the very valid need for the protection of personal privacy and the prevention of violations of people's privacy on the one hand and, on the other, the need to recognise that this technology is sometimes used as a legitimate access and support aid, a piece of assistive technology—it is really important to make sure that people who are blind and low vision and other disabled people are not caught in an unintentional crossfire.

Senate adjourned at 21:30