Austria court overturns student expulsion over smart glasses use

An Austrian court has overturned the expulsion of a high school student in Vienna who used Meta-developed smart glasses equipped with cameras, microphones, and AI assistants during classes. While the school administration argued that the devices caused significant discomfort among teachers and students due to privacy concerns and potential unauthorized recording, the Federal Administrative Court ruled that the expulsion was unlawful.

The court noted that while the concerns regarding privacy were understandable, the school failed to provide concrete evidence that the student had actually performed unauthorized recordings. The ruling emphasized that the mere possibility of recording is insufficient grounds for expulsion. The student's family had previously presented medical documentation suggesting the glasses were a necessity for the student's attention disorder.

In response to the ruling, Austrian Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr expressed surprise and stated that the ministry is working on new legal regulations. The ministry aims to allow schools to ban smart glasses to protect students and teachers from unauthorized imaging and audio recording, as well as to prevent potential cheating during exams using AI assistance.