OneCity Announces “Eyes Off”: A Plan to Regulate AI-Enabled Surveillance in Public

This policy would be first in Canada to directly address wearable recording devices like smart glasses. It would ban their wearing in spaces like public pools and changerooms and regulate them everywhere else. 

VANCOUVER, B.C. on the Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh – William Azaroff, Candidate for Mayor, and OneCity today announced Eyes Off, a plan to make Vancouver a leader in regulating wearable digital recording devices capable of covertly recording audio and video in public and semi-public spaces. 

"Right now, AI regulation is the Wild West. Someone can walk into a community centre, a change room, or a public pool wearing a device that's quietly recording everything around them, and the current rules don't do enough. As Mayor, I'll make sure Vancouver leads on this instead of catching up to it," said William Azaroff, "Technology is moving faster than City Hall, and Vancouverites are the ones paying for that lack of leadership.”

Eyes Off would establish notification requirements for sensitive business licence classes, create the City's first legal definition of a "wearable recording device," launch a voluntary "Privacy-First Vancouver" certification for businesses committing to no covert recording, and update Parks, Recreation, and Library rules to explicitly ban wearable recording devices in pools, change rooms, washrooms, and other municipal spaces.

“Our legal framework has not moved quickly enough to catch up to the very real threats of surveillance in public spaces. As a lawyer, I understand the need for clear and proactive regulations to protect vulnerable people. And as a woman, I don't need a law degree to know that Vancouver should take steps to protect its residents. This policy helps make our community facilities safer now, instead of waiting for an adequate legal framework that doesn't exist yet," said Caitlin Stockwell, OneCity Candidate for Council.

"Parks and public spaces need to be where Vancouverites can truly belong,” said Tyler Petersen, OneCity candidate for Park Board. "Covert recording technology doesn't just violate privacy, it violates the mission of providing equitable, accessible community spaces for everyone.” 

"No parent should worry about whether their kid is being recorded at the pool or park by a stranger’s glasses," said Sherry Breshears, OneCity candidate for Vancouver School Board. "The paramount duty of our schools is not just education, but safety for our kids.”