New bylaws mean smart glasses cannot be used in Cork libraries without permission

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg wears a pair of smart glasses in  2024. Smart glasses made by the Facebook and Instagram owner have previously been criticised by Ireland’s data protection watchdog for failing to make clear when the device is recording. File picture: Godofredo A. Vasquez/AP

Recording devices, including smart glasses, cannot be used in libraries across Cork without permission from librarians or other staff members.

The newly introduced bylaws follow concerns about the use of smart glasses and other wearable recording devices to film people without their knowledge or consent.

Smart glasses made by Facebook and Instagram owner Meta have previously been criticised by Ireland’s data protection watchdog for failing to make clear when the device is recording.

An LED light in the glasses is designed to activate when recording, which Meta has said is intended to signal when content is being captured. 

The Data Protection Commission said the company had not demonstrated that comprehensive field testing had been carried out to confirm the LED light was an effective notice mechanism.

Meta has since announced new measures to combat secret filming, saying its newer-generation glasses will not be able to capture content if the LED light has been tampered with.

An LED light in the smart glasses is designed to activate when recording, which Meta has said is intended to signal when content is being captured. File picture: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg

In a statement to the Irish Examiner, Cork City Council said it has adopted new bylaws restricting the use of recording devices, including smart glasses.

The bylaws state that such devices cannot be used, operated, or deployed without “prior written authorisation” from librarians or library staff.

They also state that information in any form relating to city librarians, staff, authorised officers, or agents cannot be made available during the course of their employment without that person’s consent.

Any attempt to take photographs or images of children in a library without the prior written consent of their parents or guardians is also restricted.

Those who “obstruct, impede, or refuse to comply with a request or instruction” from an authorised officer enforcing the bylaws are guilty of an offence under section 204(3)(a) of the Local Government Act 2001.

“A person who is convicted of an offence under this subsection is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €2,500 pursuant to section 204(3)(c) of the Local Government Act 2001,” said a spokesperson for Cork City Council.

“Cork City Council’s public libraries are welcoming spaces for all. These bylaws are in force to ensure that Cork City Council Libraries can be used by the public in an appropriate and safe manner."

Cork County Council said its libraries also do not permit the use of cameras or recording devices without written permission.

Restaurants, pubs, cinemas and theatres in Britain have banned smart glasses over privacy concerns.

The chief executive of pub chain Wetherspoons said it will not allow people to record using the glasses inside its venues. ATG Theatres, which owns the Bristol Hippodrome, Edinburgh Playhouse, and several theatres across London, said filming is not allowed and anyone wearing the glasses during shows will be asked to remove them.

A spokesperson for the Everyman Theatre in Cork said it does not currently see smart glasses as an issue, but added that there is “currently a universal announcement at the start of every performance in the theatre giving info on the nearest exit, turning off phones, etc”.