City Of Sydney To Ban ‘Pervert Glasses’ Following Federal Government’s Failure To Act

The City of Sydney has moved to ban smart glasses from council facilities following privacy concerns. It comes after the Federal Government said it was not considering an import ban on the devices.

During Monday’s council meeting, the City of Sydney approved a motion calling for council policies to be reviewed and updated to ban smart glasses at leisure centres, libraries, council-run childcare centres and community centres.

Greens Councillor Matthew Thompson proposed the motion, which includes exemptions for people with disability who use smart glasses as an accessibility device.

The decision comes after Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said the Federal Government was not considering an import ban on smart glasses, while pointing to proposed privacy reforms and encouraging councils and businesses to impose their own restrictions.

Widespread Criticism Of Smart Glasses

Smart glasses, including Meta’s camera-equipped glasses, have attracted growing scrutiny over their ability to record and livestream people without their knowledge.

The devices have been dubbed “pervert glasses” by critics amid reports of women being filmed in public spaces, including beaches.

The technology has also become associated with videos where creators approach women at beaches, gyms and other public places while recording interactions through smart glasses before uploading the footage to social media.

“Overseas we’re seeing women being targeted and harassed in public and recorded without their consent. We don’t want what’s happening in the US to happen here,” Thompson said.

Councils Take Action

Canterbury-Bankstown Council became the first NSW council to ban smart glasses from its leisure centres and pools after a unanimous vote for the restrictions on September 15.

Brisbane City Council has also banned the non-consensual use of camera-enabled devices including wearable technology at its 21 public swimming pools.

Along with restrictions in pools, gyms, playgrounds and childcare centres, Yarra councillors have called for the Federal Government to place a temporary ban on smart-glasses imports until privacy laws better address wearable technology.

Federal Government Under Pressure

Rowland has said the government is “not ruling anything out” in terms of other measures and has encouraged councils to consider restrictions in public areas under their control.

Thompson has criticised this approach and argued that councils are being left to deal with the issue individually.

“Instead of stopping this problem, the Federal Labor Government has dumped it onto Councils to sort out,” Thompson said.

“We need an import ban on these cheap, intrusive devices until we have stronger privacy protections and clear standards implemented nationally.

“Until then, you’re going to see more and more Councils stepping up and taking action while the Federal Labor Government refuses to regulate their big tech mates.”

Accessibility Needs Exempt

The City of Sydney’s motion recognises that smart glasses are used for purposes other than recording. The technology can assist people with low vision, deafness and other accessibility needs.

The ban includes exemptions for people with disability who rely on smart glasses as an accessibility device.

The City of Sydney will now review its conditions of entry and policies, communicate any changes to users and stakeholders, install signage where necessary and train staff.