Municipalities Resist Proactive Smart Glasses Bans Despite Privacy Concerns
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
While some global cities and privacy advocates call for explicit bans on wearable recording tech in public facilities, most Canadian cities maintain that existing rules are sufficient.
A growing tension exists between municipal governments and privacy advocates over whether smart glasses require specific bans in public change rooms and pools. As CBC News first reported, 10 of 12 Canadian municipalities contacted stated that existing regulations prohibiting recording devices in such facilities already cover smart glasses.
A spokesperson for the City of Montreal told CBC News that rules prohibiting photos and videos in aquatic facilities and locker rooms apply regardless of the device used. Similarly, Tracey McGarry, the City of Ottawa’s director of complexes, aquatics and special services, noted that while the city's policy is under review to clarify restrictions on livestreaming and recording, the city has had no issues with smart glasses in its facilities.
However, critics argue that the covert nature of the technology creates a unique privacy gap. Caitlin Stockwell, a Vancouver council candidate, argues that proactive bans are necessary because it is difficult to determine if the glasses are recording. Stockwell noted that women, children, and gender-diverse people are primarily targeted by covert recordings that are later posted online. She suggested that signage banning the glasses would help patrons identify offenders.
Lloyd Richardson, director of technology at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection in Winnipeg, told CBC News that the organization is already seeing children targeted by surreptitious recordings in bathrooms, pools, and daycares. Richardson argued that Canada should go beyond municipal bans to restrict the shipment of such privacy-invasive devices into the country.
International precedents exist for such restrictions. CBC News reports that local councils in Brisbane, Sydney, and the Melbourne area in Australia have banned the devices from public pools and change rooms. Additionally, a dance venue in Toronto has implemented a ban.