Brisbane Bans Covert Recording at 21 Public Pools as Smart Glasses Raise Child Safety Fears
Synopsis
Brisbane City Council is extending its filming restrictions beyond changerooms to all areas of its 21 public pools, covering smart glasses, phones and action cameras; lifeguards will be able to eject people who record others without consent, even though Queensland law generally permits filming in public spaces.
Brisbane City Council is preparing to give lifeguards at its 21 public swimming pools the power to remove people who use smart glasses or other devices to photograph or record others without permission, as privacy concerns surrounding AI-powered wearables intensify.
The policy which is expected to take effect within weeks, will allow lifeguards to eject users they see recording others without consent. It will apply to smartphones and other recording devices as well as smart glasses.
Those removed will not face criminal charges and lifeguards will not have the authority to force them to delete footage.
However, the move represents a significant step by a local government to establish clearer boundaries around recording in public recreational spaces.
Smart Glasses Face Growing Privacy Scrutiny
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the council wanted pool users to feel confident that they were not being secretly recorded.
The concern is not limited to Australia. A 2024 survey of more than 1,000 Australian adults found 17% admitted to using smart glasses to film others without consent or record in places where filming was prohibited.
Authorities overseas are also examining restrictions. Administrators in several Swiss cities are considering motions concerning smart glasses at public swimming pools while Norwegian authorities are weighing tighter rules.
The technology has meanwhile gained substantial commercial traction. Meta has sold more than 7 million pairs of its Ray-Ban smart glasses since their 2021 launch, increasing the number of cameras potentially operating in everyday public environments.
Australian Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind has said authorities are closely considering the issues raised by surveillance wearables and monitoring their market presence to determine whether further intervention is warranted.
AI Raises the Stakes for Recorded Footage
The privacy debate is becoming more complicated as smart glasses gain AI capabilities. Meta has opened frameworks allowing developers to build applications for its augmented-reality glasses, raising concerns about how captured images could be analysed and reused.
A University of Sydney analysis of 350 Instagram videos recently found examples of smart-glasses users harassing strangers and posting their interactions online, with 43% attracting abusive online commentary.
Privacy experts warn that the risks can continue after recording ends. Images can potentially be analysed to identify individuals, determine locations or connect people with other information.
Brisbane’s policy therefore arrives as smart glasses move from novelty products towards mainstream consumer technology, potentially forcing governments and businesses to establish new rules before privacy protections catch up with the devices.
Source: Information Age
Vishal is an experienced Editor at Inspirepreneur Magazine with key interests in artificial intelligence, eCommerce, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and startup sector. Prior to joining Inspirepreneur, he was a Content Writer cum Correspondent at Siliconindia Magazine, where he worked on Company Profiles, Cover Stories, Executive Profiles, Feature Articles and Thought Leadership content.
