Privacy, cybersecurity and regulatory issues surrounding emerging AI-powered smart glasses are the focus in this edition of Business Day Spotlight.
Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Allan Juma, lead cybersecurity engineer at ESET.
Juma highlights how smart glass devices are shifting the landscape of privacy and digital abuse.
He notes recent incidents in Kenya and Ghana where a tourist used smart glasses to secretly record intimate encounters with local women without their consent, later uploading the footage online.
Unlike phones, smart glasses allow for covert recording with almost no obvious visual indicator to observers.
In addition, smart glasses can potentially be hacked, allowing an attacker to intercept what the wearer sees and hears in real time.
This poses a unique corporate espionage risk for high-profile individuals, politicians, or executives discussing confidential information in boardrooms.
While South Africa has legal frameworks like the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia), the Cybercrimes Act, and a pending AI Act framework, technology outpaces legislation.
The security expert focuses on the threats posed by smart glasses and calls for proactive legislation.
The discussion concludes with a call for stronger collaboration between governments, tech companies, and legal experts to develop proactive, robust regulations rather than playing catch-up to technology.
Producer: Demi Buzo
• Business Day Spotlight is an Arena Podcasts Production
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