‘We Don’t Want People to End up as Clickbait’: Sydney Council Moves Towards Smart Glasses Ban

Randwick City Council is considering banning AI smart glasses at popular eastern Sydney beaches including Coogee, Clovelly, and Maroubra amid concerns about people being filmed without their knowledge.

Smart glasses are high-tech eyewear with built-in cameras and tiny screens that can discreetly take photos and record video.

Councillor Philipa Veitch, who moved the motion with Cr Masoomeh Asgari, said the glasses raised serious privacy concerns.

“These devices can allow users to film members of the public without their knowledge or consent, which presents serious privacy and safety risks, particularly for children and women who already bear the brunt of so much violence and abuse,” she said in a Facebook post.

“Our pools, beaches, and playgrounds should be places where the community feels safe and can have fun—not risk getting filmed and having their image uploaded to the web.”

Veitch said she put forward the proposal due to increasing community concerns about smart glasses.

“We don’t want people to end up as click bait when they come to the beach on some creep social media feed or a private chat room,” she told Nine News.

Council Looks at Broader Ban

The motion, carried by the council on Sept. 22, asked council staff to report back on options for banning smart glasses at council facilities, including beaches, playgrounds, and sports fields.

Smart glasses are already prohibited at the council-run Des Renford Leisure Centre.

The council also called on the federal government to update the Privacy Act to address risks posed by new wearable technology and impose a temporary ban on smart glasses imports until Australia’s privacy and data collection laws are updated.

Similar bans have been introduced by the City of Sydney and Inner West Council.

Federal Government Raises Privacy Concerns

In August, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland wrote to the Privacy Commissioner raising privacy concerns with smart glasses.

She said the devices could pose particular risks to women and children, who may be subject to “inappropriate recording, harassment, and surveillance.”

“Privacy is an essential part of all our lives; it allows us to be who we are with dignity and without fear,” she said at the time.

“Unlike other forms of technology, smart glasses may be used more discreetly, making it harder to know when you are being recorded.”

Rowland also commended local governments in September for taking action to restrict smart glasses from their facilities.