A growing number of Western Australian councils are barring smart glasses (sunglasses and spectacles with built-in cameras that can quietly record video) from public pools, libraries, toilets and halls. The City of Perth has now started looking at whether to do the same.
Three regional shires, Kondinin, Augusta-Margaret River and Cue, have already brought in restrictions, the ABC reported this morning. Each points to the same worry: people being filmed without knowing it, in places where they expect privacy.
What each council has done
Kondinin, a Wheatbelt shire about 270 kilometres east of Perth, has gone furthest. Its council voted to ban the devices from the town pool, libraries, council offices, public toilets and halls, and from any council-run event. The shire has no power to restrict them in parks or on the street.
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Shire president Ken Mouritz said the council was concerned by reports from overseas of people being recorded in public places without their consent.
Augusta-Margaret River has banned smart glasses at its recreation centres, including the local pool, with an exemption for people who need them for medical reasons. Shire president Julia Jean-Rice said the decision was made as a precaution rather than because of any incident.
"We want to ensure our community feels safe and comfortable and respected." — Julia Jean-Rice, Shire of Augusta-Margaret River president
She told the ABC other regional and metropolitan councils had since asked the shire about its policy.
Cue, in the Midwest, has taken a different approach. Its rule bans staff, councillors and contractors from using smart glasses at shire facilities, including the caravan park and water park. Members of the public are not banned, but they can be asked to switch off and put away any recording device while they are using shire-owned facilities. Shire president Les Price said the policy came in after the glasses were seen in use.
Perth's review
At its council meeting last night, the City of Perth tabled a motion asking its chief executive to review the use of smart glasses and other wearable recording devices at sites the city owns and manages. The review is expected to look at the city's change rooms and community facilities, and a decision is expected early next year.
If the capital city brings in a ban, it would be the first metropolitan council in WA to do so and could put pressure on other Perth councils that run pools and leisure centres.
Part of a national trend
The WA shires are following councils in other states. Brisbane City Council became the first in Australia to restrict the devices at its public pools in August. Melbourne's Yarra council followed in September with a ban covering pools, gyms, playgrounds and childcare centres, and Adelaide City Council has been looking at a ban of its own.
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The federal government has said it is not considering an import ban on smart glasses, and has signalled that councils can restrict them at their own facilities. In WA, the devices are already banned in public schools, a policy the ABC describes as the strictest in the country.
The other side
Not everyone is comfortable with the push. Disability advocates have pointed out that smart glasses can give people who are blind or have low vision more independence, for example by reading signs aloud or describing what is in front of them. They warn that calling them "pervert glasses" could stigmatise people who rely on them for everyday tasks. That is why some councils, including Augusta-Margaret River, have written medical exemptions into their rules.
What happens next
For now, the rules are being made one council at a time, so what is allowed at one pool may be banned at the next. Anyone who wears smart glasses, whether for medical reasons or not, should check the rules at their local pool, library or leisure centre before they go. The City of Perth's review is expected to report back early in 2027.
Photo: Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses (file photo), CCadio via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
Comments (1)
Makes sense
Makes sense