Source : Perth Now news
A Sydney council has moved to ban the use of smart glasses at local pools in an effort to “protect families and kids” from the controversial new piece of technology.
Canterbury-Bankstown Council unanimously voted to ban the technology, referred to directly by Mayor Bilal El-Hayek as ‘pervert glasses’, from local aquatic centres during a council meeting on Tuesday night.
Mr El-Hayek said the technology threatened “both safety and privacy” of community members during his mayoral minute.
“The biggest concerns are around perverts and pedophiles secretly filming in change rooms, swimming pools and around schools, prowling and preying on our young and most vulnerable,” he said.
“It would be naive to believe that these creeps are not using other devices to record unsuspecting targets, and the biggest challenge for all of us are advancements in AI technology, which are making it that much harder to catch them.”
Mr El-Hayek said while the laws were “complex” when it came to outright banning the glasses, and not within council jurisdiction, he said it was important for councils to do as much as they possibly can to crack down on the glasses.
Councillor Conroy Blood asked if exemptions could be carved out for blind individuals who may use the glasses for seeing assistance, to which council agreed.
In response to questions regarding enforceability by Councillor Harry Stavrinos, Mr El-Hayek said staff would receive training on how to identify suspicious behaviour and differentiate devices from normal glasses.
Other LGAs which have banned the use of smart glasses in select council-operated spaces include Brisbane City in Queensland and Yarra Council in Victoria.
