A pair of Ray-Ban Meta 2nd generation smart glasses is seen on display at Meta’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 27, 2023. Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
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 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.
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“We don’t want people to end up as clickbait 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.
Federal Government Raises Privacy Concerns
In August, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland wrote to the Privacy Commissioner raising privacy concerns about smart glasses.
She said the devices could pose particular risks to women and children, who may be subject to “inappropriate recording, harassment, and surveillance.”
“Unlike other forms of technology, smart glasses may be used more discreetly, making it harder to know when you are being recorded.”
