Wollongong council moves to ban camera smart glasses in public facilities
Councillor Jess Whittaker has requested a council report on banning camera-equipped smart glasses from public facilities.
Camera-equipped smart glasses record video without obvious signs. The glasses can be used to film others covertly.
Kmart's low-cost version sold out quickly, sparking privacy fears. The UK and US have already banned the glasses from courts and restaurants.
In Australia, Brisbane City Council and the City of Yarra have banned them from pools. Canterbury-Bankstown council has voted to ban them too.
Whittaker's motion asks for a council report. The report should cover swimming pools, change rooms and other public facilities.
It must also examine whether a ban could harm people with vision loss or disabilities who use the glasses for daily activities.
- Jess Whittaker
- Councillor
- Wollongong City Council
- Location
- Kmart sold out of low-cost version
- Retail trigger
Why it mattersPeople can be filmed without knowing, in vulnerable spaces; councils are moving to close the gap while federal privacy laws lag.
AustraliaWollongong and other Australian councils are taking local action on a privacy gap federal law has not yet addressed.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 8 d ago
