New restrictions on smart glasses and recording devices at Brisbane public pools as government considers nationwide action

Brisbane City Council is tightening rules on smart glasses and other recording devices across its 21 public pools amid fears children are being secretly filmed.

The strengthened conditions of entry will apply to mobile phones, action cameras, smart glasses and any other device capable of taking photographs or recording video.

New signage will be progressively installed at the city’s pools, while employees will be given clearer authority to intervene when recording devices are used without permission.

Under existing rules, adults and children cannot be filmed without prior approval, particularly in changerooms and other areas where patrons expect privacy.

The council said its existing safeguards needed to be strengthened as smart glasses became cheaper, more widely available and increasingly difficult to distinguish from conventional eyewear.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said recent concerns about the technology had prompted people to reconsider their privacy in public places.

“Families should be able to enjoy their local pool without worrying that someone might be secretly filming them or their children,” Schrinner said.

“We’re making the rules crystal clear about when cameras and recording devices can be used at our pools.

“These rules will give pool staff clearer rules to act on inappropriate filming and help protect the privacy of swimmers.

“These are common-sense changes to help families feel safe and comfortable while enjoying Brisbane’s fantastic pools.”

The council is pushing ahead with its own response as the federal government considers whether Australia’s privacy protections are strong enough to regulate the increasingly affordable technology.

Assistant Minister for Science, Technology and the Digital Economy Dr Andrew Charlton said the arrival of cheaper smart glasses had caused widespread concern.

“The introduction of these so-called smart glasses is a really scary thing for lots of people,” Charlton told Sunrise on Wednesday.

“They’ve been around for a long time but they’ve just become a lot cheaper and a lot more accessible. And that raises a lot of understandable fears.”