Brisbane City Council has banned the use of smart glasses to film or photograph people without consent at public pools.
The council said the move came in response to “growing concerns about increasingly affordable smart glasses” being used to record swimmers.
Queensland law allows people to film others in public areas without asking for consent.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
Smart glasses look like ordinary eyewear but include a camera, microphone, and AI features.
They can shoot photos and video, take calls, and translate speech in real time.
Kmart’s version of these glasses ($89) sold out earlier this month.
Under Australian law, filming someone in public is generally legal without their consent, because public places don’t carry a reasonable expectation of privacy.
This is also true in Queensland, though state law stipulates it’s not legal to film someone in a private place such as a changeroom or a bathroom.
The ban
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On Tuesday, Brisbane City Council announced a ban on the non-consensual use of all devices with cameras, including smart glasses, phones and GoPros.
Although it is technically legal to record, pool staff will be able to remove people who do so without permission.
The ban applies to video recordings as well as photos, and will roll out in the coming weeks across all 21 of the council’s public pools.
TDA understands this is the first ban of its kind in Australia.
“Families should be able to enjoy their local pool without worrying that someone might be secretly filming them or their children.”
Brisbane City Council Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.
What’s next?
Tom Sulston, Head of Policy at Digital Rights Watch, says he hopes other councils will follow Brisbane’s lead, and that state and federal governments will also start regulating smart glasses.
Earlier this month, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland asked the Privacy Commissioner to urgently review the “growing uptake of smart glasses.”
That review could inform whether bans like this one are rolled out nationally.
