The Smart View Of Tech That It Would Be Foolish To Allow Unchecked Into Swimming
Is enthusiasm for new possibilities being balanced by discussion on the downsides and dangers of certain forms of smart technology and its capacity to reach beyond red lines without being seen?
You can buy a pair of "Smart Glasses"with ease, online and instore. They use technology not too far removed from that used in smart goggles for the specific purpose of analysing swimming performance - but what happens when they enter the sports arena, the pool, the warm-down area and other places where 'influencers are allowed to roam when mainstream media are not, the changing rooms, the doping control room... ?
If the goggles, which World Aquatics is allowing in competition, offer a new peek at peak performance, some of the models of glasses out there have cameras that don't light up when use, that can be used entirely in secret, and the images and moments they are taping can be stored in places in the control of both private individuals and states.
It doesn't take a smart person to work out how foolish it would be were sport - regulators, organisers, hosts, and related authorities alike - to allow such technology to be used unchecked by fans, athletes, coaches, media and just about anyone else allowed access.
Investigative reporter Matthew Elkerton, at NT News in Australia, has highlighted a child safety crisis in Australian community sports driven by covert recording devices and smart glasses.
His report notes that local clubs struggle to police wearable surveillance technology in vulnerable areas like changerooms, while background checks like Working with Children Checks are often treated as superficial measures. You can read that full story at NT News (subscriber content).
In his latest piece on the subject Down Under this weekend, Elkerton picks up the theme in a piece that notes:
"As emerging technologies like “smart glasses” infiltrate local pools, community ovals and club changerooms, volunteer coaches and community-centre staff face the grim reality of trying to police them.
"As the world gets “smarter”, the codes of conduct that underpin the protection of young athletes become outdated and inadequate. Local sporting bodies are racing to not only understand and embrace emerging technologies, but also mitigate the risks associated with them."
Among questions is this: what is in their control, what is not - and what is in their control that they may be reluctant to acknowledge? ...
