[alangpierce]

Interesting. For me, it's normal and understandable to use "can" to mean "is allowed to". I certainly know and understand the word "may", and I've heard it's technically more correct, but it feels a little antiquated or overly-formal, so I tend to not use it in conversation but might use it in writing.

One source that "can" is ok here: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/can-or-may

I didn't realize that this use of "can" is something that would cause confusion. Maybe there's a regional difference? I'm from the western United States.