Brisbane bans filming people without consent at municipal pools
Brisbane City Council in Australia has banned visitors to municipal pools from filming other people without their consent. The restriction applies to all 21 pools managed by the council, ABC News Australia reports.
Ban on cameras and smart glasses
The new conditions of entry cover all devices with cameras, including smart glasses, phones, action cameras and wearable devices. The ban applies to both video recording and photography without a person's permission.
Visitors will not be prohibited from bringing smart glasses to pools, but they will not be allowed to film other people with them without their consent. Under Queensland state law, filming people in public places is permitted even without their knowledge or consent. However, the council's new rules will allow lifeguards to require visitors who film others without permission to leave the pool.
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Rules to be introduced in the coming weeks
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said visitors are increasingly concerned about the possibility of covert filming using smart glasses. According to him, such devices are becoming more accessible, including due to the emergence of Anko glasses, which are cheaper than Meta Ray-Bans.
Digital Rights Watch policy director Tom Talston supported the council's decision. He said the use of such technologies should also be regulated by state authorities and the federal government. Queensland Family and Child Commission chief commissioner Luke Twyford said the ban would help protect children and reduce foreseeable risks. The council plans to introduce the rules at all 21 pools in the coming weeks.
