FRANKSTON Council is considering new measures to ban the use of “smart glasses” recording devices.
At their most recent meeting, Frankston councillors voted to prepare a report assessing “council’s conditions of entry and other policies to ban the use of smart glasses at council’s leisure centres and all council-run childcare centres and playgrounds, subject to any necessary carve outs for deaf, low vision or disabled users.” Councillors also voted to advocate to the federal government for “updates to the Privacy Act to ensure it is fit for purpose and able to respond to the risks of new wearable technology, and for a temporary ban on smart glasses imports until Australia’s privacy and data collection laws are updated to better protect our communities.”
Frankston mayor Cr Sue Baker said that the privacy risks associated with smart glasses needed to be considered. “Technology is changing quickly and our approach to privacy and safety needs to keep pace. Smart glasses have some incredibly useful applications, but their ability to record discreetly understandably raises concerns, particularly in places where children and families spend time,” she said.
“We want people using our facilities to feel safe and comfortable, and to know that their privacy is being taken seriously.”
Filming is currently prohibited at council-owned childcare centres and maternal and child and health centres. Filming restrictions are also in place at Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre, Pines Forest Aquatic Centre, Frankston Skate Park, and Centenary Park Golf Course. Cr Baker said “we’re not starting from scratch. What we’re doing now is asking whether our broader policies and conditions of entry are keeping pace with technology that’s developing very quickly.”
“It’s important that we act early and thoughtfully rather than wait for a problem to occur,” Cr Baker said. “Councils can set reasonable conditions for the facilities we manage, but the bigger questions around privacy, data collection and rapidly changing technology need a national response. We want to see privacy laws that are fit for purpose and give the community confidence as these technologies become more widely available.”
The matter is expected to return to council for further consideration by the end of this year.
First published in the Frankston Times – 13 October 2026