Smart Glasses: The Family Safety Checklist 

A 10-minute KnowledgeFlow check for parents and young people 

Smart glasses can be useful, creative and fun. Camera- and AI-enabled models also put powerful sensors at eye level. 

Before wearing them into everyday life, make sure everyone understands the responsibility that comes with them. 

Before Buying or Setting Them Up 

• Identify what the glasses can actually do. Check for camera, microphone, livestreaming, visual AI, display, location features, cloud processing and third-party integrations. 

• Check the recommended age. A manufacturer’s minimum age is not the same as readiness to handle recording, privacy and posting responsibly. 

• Read the school’s rules. Smart glasses may fall under camera, wearable, electronic-device, examination or harassment policies even if the brand is not named. 

• Review the privacy settings together. Look at voice history, AI data, imported media, cloud services, connected apps and permissions. 

• Secure the connected phone and account. Use a strong unique password, multifactor authentication where available and a locked phone. 

• Install software and firmware updates. Wearables are computers. Treat them like computers. 

• Know how to factory-reset the device before it is sold, given away or permanently transferred. 

Make the Family Rules Explicit 

• No surprise recording. Ask before deliberately recording identifiable people. 

• Ask twice: capture and share. Permission to record someone is not automatically permission to post, message, remix or livestream them. 

• “Stop” means stop. Do not keep filming, follow the person or make their objection part of the content. 

• Keep cameras out of sensitive spaces. No recording in washrooms, changing areas, bedrooms belonging to others, medical or counselling appointments, confidential meetings or anywhere the school or venue prohibits it. 

• Think about bystanders. Your friend’s permission does not automatically include every student, employee or stranger visible behind them. 

• Do not capture secrets accidentally. Watch for PIN pads, payment cards, passwords, computer screens, access badges, documents, house numbers, licence plates and school or workplace identifiers. 

• Explain intentional visual-AI use when another person’s privacy could reasonably be affected. A recording light may not signal every camera-powered AI interaction. 

• Never use smart glasses to bait, embarrass, sexualize, intimidate, follow or secretly monitor someone. 

• Never record while driving or during another activity that requires full attention. 

If Your Child Thinks Someone Is Recording Them 

• Choose safety over confrontation. Move away if the person is provoking, following, threatening or surrounding them. 

• Set one clear boundary if it is safe: “I do not consent to being recorded or posted. Please stop.” 

• Do not grab the glasses or the wearer. 

• Tell the person responsible for the space: a teacher, administrator, supervisor, manager, security officer or another trusted adult. 

• Write down what happened: date, time, location, description, witnesses and what was said. 

• If something was posted, preserve evidence before reporting it: username, link, caption, date, messages and appropriate screenshots. 

• Do not repost harmful content just to condemn it. That may enlarge its audience. 

• Report the original and each reupload using the platform category that best fits: privacy, bullying, harassment, impersonation, sexual content or child safety. 

• Escalate threats, stalking, extortion, voyeuristic or sexualized recording, intimate imagery, or immediate danger. 

• For sexual imagery involving a young person, do not forward the image. Preserve surrounding information and seek guidance from Cybertip.ca or police as appropriate. 

If Your Child Made the Mistake 

• Stop further recording and sharing. 

• Preserve enough information to understand what happened before deleting evidence needed by a school or other investigation. 

• Help remove or report copies. 

• Focus on the person affected—not simply the possibility of punishment. 

• Discuss what should have happened differently: ask, disclose, stop, protect. 

• Repair the harm safely and appropriately when possible. 

The Five-Second Test 

Before recording, ask: 

Would I do this with a phone held visibly in front of me? 

Before posting, ask: 

Would I show this to the person first? 

If the answer changes because the camera is harder to notice, that is the warning. 

KnowledgeFlow Rule 

ASK before capture. 
ASK before sharing. 
STOP when asked. 
PROTECT what the camera can see. 

Based on Canadian privacy guidance for wearable technologies and current smart-glasses capabilities. General educational information only; not legal advice.