Byron Shire Councillors have voted unanimously in support of a motion investigating the ban of camera-equipped smart glasses from its pools, libraries, childcare centres and workplaces.
Greens councillor Michelle Lowe proposed the motion with concerns for individuals being recorded inconspicuously without wearers needing to ‘signal clearly’ that they are recording.
‘People should not have to determine whether an apparently ordinary pair of glasses is actually recording them’, she said in her supporting notes.
Cr Lowe raises particular concern for council-operated swimming pools that are ‘used extensively by children and families’.
‘The possibility of covert or inconspicuous recording creates a foreseeable risk that images or video of children could be captured without the knowledge or consent of their parents or carers,’ she said.
Smart glasses bans have been rolled out across a number of councils in Australia with both Brisbane and Yarra City among those implementing policy against their use in public facilities.
Yarra City Council Mayor, Stephen Jolly recognised smart glasses are a rapidly evolving technology, and the community’s privacy should be a priority in all council-run spaces.
‘Our spaces need to be safe and respectful – especially for the more vulnerable members of our community,’ he says.
Senior law lecturer at Adelaide University, Mark Giancaspro, highlights potential issues with an outright ban which could ‘threaten to violate anti-discrimination laws’.
‘Smart glasses – including the best-known Ray Ban Meta glasses – can be fitted with prescription lenses. Alternatively, someone might simply require smart glasses to support their vision… a blanket ban might constitute unlawful discrimination’ he said in The Conversation.
Attorney General, Michelle Rowland, acknowledged community concerns about potential harmful use of smart glasses but said the government was not currently planning an import ban, despite calls from the Greens and independents to halt imports for 12 months until privacy laws are strengthened.
‘The Privacy Act consultation does not go to issues of import restrictions; however, we are not ruling anything out in terms of other measures we can take.’ she said.
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