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A Sydney council is set to consider giving lifeguards new powers to eject people wearing AI smart glasses from public swimming pools, as fears grow that the glasses’ discreet cameras could be used to secretly record children and other swimmers.
Canterbury-Bankstown Council will vote this week on a proposal to ban the technology at its four public aquatic centres, making it the first council in Sydney to introduce a specific restriction if the measure passes.
Under the proposed rules, staff could order patrons to remove the smart eyewear, confiscate the devices or remove anyone who refused to comply.
Mayor Bilal El-Hayek said the proposal was driven by heightened community concern over the devices’ ability to conceal miniature cameras, microphones and other AI capabilities in accessories that resemble standard eyewear.
He said women and parents were particularly concerned that the technology could be used to covertly record people, including children, in swimming pools, change rooms and showers.
“You just need to look at the local chat groups and talk to people in our community to realise there are serious concerns around the unscrupulous use of the technology,” he said.
“Mums are telling me they want very clear guidelines to protect their children from preying predators. The biggest challenge for all of us is the advancements in AI technology are making it just that much harder to catch people doing the wrong thing in the act.”
The ban would cover Canterbury Leisure and Aquatic Centre, Birrong Leisure and Aquatic Centre, Max Parker Leisure Centre in Revesby and Roselands Aquatic Centre.
Revesby Workers Swim Club president Adam Rutter described the proposal as a “no-brainer” from a child-safety perspective.
“There’s a lot of anxiety around the devices because you don’t always know when the camera is filming, and that can make it very hard to detect when it’s being misused,” Rutter said.
“A lot of our members are women and children and their welfare needs to be at the centre of everything.”
The proposed ban follows similar moves by Brisbane City Council, which became the first Australian council to restrict the devices at its public pools, and Melbourne’s Yarra Council, which enacted bans across pools, gyms, playgrounds and childcare facilities this month.
Although wearable smart technology has existed for several years, privacy concerns have intensified as the devices have become cheaper and more widely available. Kmart recently sold out of its $89 Anko smart glasses following widespread interest.
Digital Rights Watch deputy chair Tom Sulston supported restrictions in swimming pools but warned enforcement could be difficult.
“Some brands of smart glasses can be indistinguishable from ordinary eyewear, and recording indicators can potentially be disabled or obscured,” Sulston said.
“That makes it particularly challenging for lifeguards and other staff whose primary focus should be the safety of swimmers in the water.”
Councillors will vote on the measure this week. If approved, new signage outlining the prohibition would be rolled out at the council’s swimming facilities.
A council spokeswoman said the proposed ban would include exemptions for people who legitimately relied on smart glasses as navigational or visual aids.
The proposal comes after the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and the eSafety Commissioner issued separate warnings about wearable technologies, citing privacy risks for domestic violence victims and other vulnerable people.
The eSafety Commissioner has called for stronger safeguards, including recording indicators that cannot be disabled and automatic face-blurring where consent has not been given.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has so far resisted calls for an import ban on the devices, but encouraged councils to regulate the technology in public spaces while broader federal privacy reforms are developed.
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David Barwell is an urban affairs reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners
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