One of Sydney’s largest councils joins ban on ‘pervert’ glasses at local swimming pools

Canterbury‑Bankstown Council voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to ban AI‑powered smart glasses at its public pools, following similar moves by Brisbane and Yarra. Mayor Bilal El‑Hayek described the devices as “pervert glasses” and cited growing concerns that the technology could be used by predators to covertly film swimmers.

Reports of women being recorded without consent have surfaced, including footage shared by a glasses‑wearing influencer on social media. El‑Hayek told councillors that online forums such as Facebook, TikTok and local community groups are filled with complaints about the potential for hidden cameras in changing rooms, pools and schools. He warned that the glasses’ high‑resolution cameras, real‑time translation, object recognition and open‑ear audio could not only capture and share footage but also scan faces and access personal data.

Brisbane became the first Australian council to ban covert filming at its 21 public pools, a decision praised by Digital Rights Watch as essential for protecting family safety. Yarra in Melbourne followed suit, banning the devices in leisure facilities, childcare centres and playgrounds and calling on the federal government to strengthen privacy laws. Randwick Council in Sydney’s eastern suburbs also prohibited smart glasses at the Des Renford leisure centre, installing signage and requiring wearers to remove the devices.

The bans do not affect users with accessibility needs, such as vision impairment. The federal attorney‑general, Michelle Rowland, has not ruled out a nationwide ban but noted the complexity of regulating the technology. In August, she wrote to privacy commissioner Carly Kind about community concerns and urged the government to update privacy laws for the digital age. The eSafety Commissioner has advised companies to blur faces automatically and to make recording status clear, warning that accessibility benefits may conflict with safety and privacy.