Source : Perth Now news
Smart glasses would be banned from every school across Victoria, with the edict also applying to those attending sports carnivals and excursions.
The ban, announced by the Labor Carroll government in the lead up to that state’s November 28 election, is an extension of its current statewide school mobile phone ban.
The new pledge to ban smart glasses will apply to public, independent and Catholic schools and begin from the start of the 2027 school year.
In public schools, the ban will also apply to school staff, parents and volunteers who enter school grounds or participate on off-campus events like excursions and sporting carnivals.
Deputy Premier and Education Minister Gabrielle Williams said the government was setting “clear rules” for every Victorian school.
“(We are) making sure students can focus on learning, and families can feel confident their children are in a respectful and safe school environment,” Ms Williams said.
Activist group GetUp teamed up with creator Cam Scott to install mock disposal bins on Sydney beaches (like Bondi), urging people to throw away camera-enabled AI smart glasses – colloquially dubbed “pervert glasses” – to protest non-consensual filming.
“Smart glasses have no place in our classrooms or our school grounds,” she said.
The move follows a number of other recently-launched initiatives to ban the glasses in public buildings and recreation spaces by local councils in several Aussie states.
Victorian premier Ben Carroll has spent the past six weeks working hard to shed the heavy baggage left behind by his predecessor Jacinta Allan following her unceremonious ousting in July.
At the time of Ms Allan’s ousting, the most recent polling numbers for Labor gave them 23 per cent of the Victorian primary vote, down 16 per cent from the first polling numbers released after she became Labor leader in September 2023.
Since his appointment, Mr Carroll has vowed to crackdown on alleged CFMEU corruption through a royal commission, introduce free dental care, cap weekly public transport fees at $30 and launch tougher penalties for people who harass, intimidate or assault retail workers.
Victorians will head to the polls on November 28.
