Polk County Public Schools joins other districts in banning smart glasses

BARTOW, Fla. - Polk County Public Schools joined other school districts in the Tampa Bay area by banning Ray-Ban Meta glasses and similar wearable smart technology from classrooms.

Polk County school device ban

What we know:

Polk County Public Schools announced a ban on smart glasses on Friday, after district officials said they've seen an increase in students wearing them at school.

"Many of these devices can photograph, record audio or video, livestream, communicate with others, access information, or transmit content without those nearby being aware, or even consenting to being recorded," the district said in a statement.

The policy change follows similar moves by Hillsborough County Schools and Pinellas County Schools, which both updated prohibited device policies to include smart glasses over the summer.

Classroom cheating and privacy risks

Why you should care:

Cybersecurity expert Erich Kron, with KnowBe4, said wearable technology like smart glasses poses a number of different concerns. He's not surprised to see school districts implementing rules against them.

"We've seen it now with the glasses," Kron said. "And not only can it be a big distraction, but it can also be used for cheating. And there have been some people caught for doing that, especially on the college level."

The technology can also create privacy concerns in public and even seemingly private spaces.

"We know school bullying and cyber bullying is a big thing anyways, right?" Kron said. "So, if you have somebody walking around recording things, you don't know it. Maybe you're talking to somebody in confidence and they're nearby. That stuff can very easily get leaked through these videos that they take with these things, which actually could cause cyber bullying. Now on the flip side of that argument, they may actually be able to prove that they were bullied if they're wearing it and the bully doesn't know."

Tampa Bay smart glasses rules

What we don't know:

School officials have not detailed how staff members will distinguish sleek smart glasses from standard prescription eyewear in crowded hallways. Polk County Schools officials say that if a student needs technology that may fall into this category, their family should contact the school.

Students could face a range of disciplinary action for violating the rules, depending on the circumstances and their school district's policy.

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