{"id":79909,"date":"2026-08-25T07:48:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T07:48:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/79909\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T07:48:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T07:48:22","slug":"brisbane-city-council-bans-covert-filming-at-public-pools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/79909\/","title":{"rendered":"Brisbane City Council bans covert filming at public pools"},"content":{"rendered":"

Covertly filming with smart glasses will be banned from Brisbane\u2019s public pools amid growing fears the hi-tech devices are being used to secretly film children.<\/p>\n

Brisbane City Council announced all camera-enabled and recording devices \u2014 from mobile phones and action cameras, to increasingly discreet wearable technology like smart glasses \u2014will be banned from filming anyone without consent at council\u2019s 21 ratepayer-owned pools.<\/p>\n

The privacy crackdown comes just weeks after Kmart sold out of a $89 pair of \u201ccamera glasses\u201d capable of covertly capturing video and photos.<\/p>\n

To implement the ban, council will update its pool \u201cconditions of entry\u201d to bolster the existing filming and recording rules, giving staff the power to kick out people covertly filming.<\/p>\n

Existing rules focused on unauthorised filming in changerooms.<\/p>\n

The updated rules will apply to all areas of a public pool, with new signage to be progressively rolled out in the coming weeks ahead of the September school holidays.<\/p>\n

The tighter restrictions come as council trials lifeguard assistance artificial intelligence cameras at the Runcorn Aquatic Centre and Yeronga Memorial Pool over the next 12 months.<\/p>\n

\u201cRecent concerns about smart glasses being used to film people without their knowledge or consent are understandably making people think more about their privacy,\u201d Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFamilies should be able to enjoy their local pool without worrying that someone might be secretly filming them or their children.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese rules will give pool staff clearer rules to act on inappropriate filming and help protect the privacy of swimmers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Council\u2019s move has the backing of the Queensland Family and Child Commission principal commissioner Luke Twyford, who said all children should be and feel safe in public places.<\/p>\n

\u201cChild harm and abuse can be hard to recognise, and all organisations need to ensure the services and spaces they operate are safe for children and prevent exploitation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really glad to see Brisbane City Council considering its role in making Queensland a safe place and taking steps to reduce foreseeable risks. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what the Child Safe Standards and the community expects.\u201d<\/p>\n

Digital Rights Watch Head of Policy Tom Sulston said smart glasses and similar covert cameras were a serious threat to privacy and dignity, and wider bans should be considered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s vital that councils across Australia ensure that public spaces like swimming pools are safe for families to enjoy without the threat of unwanted video surveillance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all need to be able to go out in public without fear of being covertly recorded and having the images uploaded to the internet without our consent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look forward to seeing not just councils following Brisbane\u2019s lead, but also state and federal governments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland wrote to the Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind earlier this month<\/a> and asked her to give \u201cpriority consideration\u201d to the technology and its privacy implications.<\/p>\n

The letter came after Kmart sold out of its Anko $89 camera glasses, a budget alternative to Meta\u2019s AI glasses that retail from $337.<\/p>\n

They are now back on sale for home delivery.<\/p>\n

The Anko offerings run on HeyCyan software and allow the user to play music, answer calls, use an AI assistant, and transmit photos and video.<\/p>\n

The software is used in other low-budget offerings widely available on Temu and Amazon.<\/p>\n

Meta\u2019s glasses have a light that indicates when the wearer is recording, but there have been reports of covert public recordings. <\/p>\n

There have also been reports that outsourced workers sometimes review content \u2013 including videos and photos of people using the toilet or having sex \u2013 captured by the glasses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Covertly filming with smart glasses will be banned from Brisbane\u2019s public pools amid growing fears the hi-tech 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