Brisbane council bans secret filming at public pools as AI glasses worry swimmers
City Council has moved to stop people from secretly filming at its public pools, after swimmers raised concerns that AI smart glasses could be
Brisbane City Council has moved to stop people from secretly filming at its public pools, after swimmers raised concerns that AI smart glasses could be used to record them without permission. The ban covers all 21 council-run pools across the city and will come into force in the coming weeks.
Blanket rule for cameras and wearables
The council said the new conditions of entry apply to all camera-enabled devices, including wearable technology, mobile phones and action cameras. Smart glasses may still be brought into the pools, but users will not be allowed to film without permission. The ban also covers photographs, not just video.
That matters. A lot.
Under Queensland law, filming people in public areas is legal even if they do not know it is happening or have not agreed to it. Brisbane’s pool rules go further, giving lifeguards the power to eject visitors who film others without permission.
Concerns over cheaper smart glasses
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said swimmers were increasingly worried about people using smart glasses to surreptitiously record them at council pools. He pointed to the rise of Anko smart glasses, which he said were much cheaper than Meta Ray-Bans, as a reason the concern was mounting.
The council did not say whether it had recorded specific incidents at the pools. But the decision reflects a broader tension many public venues are now facing: technology that looks ordinary can also capture images quietly, with little warning to the people in frame.
Public pools bring that issue into sharp focus. Families, children and lap swimmers share the same space. A camera hidden in plain sight changes the feel of the place, even when the device itself is legal to carry.
What changes for pool visitors
For swimmers in Brisbane, the immediate effect is straightforward. No one can film or photograph others at council pools without permission, and lifeguards will be able to act if visitors ignore the rule. The council said the new conditions will roll out over the coming weeks.
The move places Brisbane among local authorities trying to set firmer boundaries around wearable tech in shared spaces, even where wider law still permits recording in public. The city’s pools are drawing that line for themselves.
“Swimmers were increasingly worried about smart glasses being used to surreptitiously film them,” Schrinner said.
