US Air Force Bans Smart Glasses Over Security Concerns

The United States Air Force has banned military personnel from using smart glasses on military facilities.

The move was reported by Task & Purpose.

The decision was made for security reasons, as modern smart glasses are capable of taking photos and videos, recording audio, and accessing the internet, which could potentially be exploited by foreign intelligence services to collect information.

Dana Thayer, 104th Fighter Wing Information Protection Chief, said the new policy reflects growing risks linked to the spread of wearable electronic devices — including smartwatches, mobile phones, and smart glasses — at military facilities.

Such technologies, she said, raise questions about where and under what conditions they can be safely used, particularly at air bases and sites involved in classified missions.

Military personnel had previously been prohibited from bringing personal electronic devices into restricted areas.

Updated Air Force regulations now extend this restriction to smart accessories, citing the risk that smart glasses could covertly record images, audio, or other data without the user’s awareness.

As Task & Purpose notes, other branches of the US Armed Forces have not yet introduced a service-wide ban on smart glasses.

Their regulations generally apply to personal electronic devices overall and allow greater discretion at the local command level. At the same time, some units in other branches are testing smart glasses for maintenance and training purposes.

Thayer separately noted that Meta smart glasses with integrated artificial intelligence are of particular concern, as they are designed by default to record photos, video, and voice data.

Similar security concerns have also been raised over electric vehicles and so-called “smart” cars, particularly those manufactured in China.

Such vehicles are equipped with multiple cameras and sensors to analyze road conditions and surroundings, raising concerns that collected data could be transmitted to servers outside the country, including to China.

For security reasons, the Israeli and Polish militaries have banned such vehicles from entering military facilities.

In Israel, restrictions have gone further, with Chinese-made vehicles equipped with smart systems reportedly being confiscated from military personnel due to concerns over potential leaks of sensitive information.