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Google Says the Built-in Microphone it Never Told Nest Users About Was 'Never Supposed To Be a Secret' (businessinsider.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: In early February, Google announced that its home security and alarm system Nest Secure would be getting an update. Users, the company said, could now enable its virtual-assistant technology, Google Assistant. The problem: Nest users didn't know a microphone existed on their security device to begin with. The existence of a microphone on the Nest Guard, which is the alarm, keypad, and motion-sensor component in the Nest Secure offering, was never disclosed in any of the product material for the device. On Tuesday, a Google spokesperson told Business Insider the company had made an "error." "The on-device microphone was never intended to be a secret and should have been listed in the tech specs," the spokesperson said. "That was an error on our part."
In one of the responses from Nest I read, it seemed you could disable the microphone via the app - so maybe you could have known that way before?
They should have let users know for sure, I was just wondering if that control was there the whole time and few if any noticed.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Unless they suddenly good at lip reading.
I assure you, Dave, that Google would never do that.
Don't worry. Like all Google products, the microphone was going to be discontinued in the Nest. If you'd like, take a soldering iron to the leads to disconnect it now, or wait for the Google + message that will signal the discontinuance.
In the meantime, I suggest running a small fan directly on the Nest to smooth its data, and mask your conversations.
---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
There is some issue over whether or not you can trust that it's actually disabled. If you wanted to be certain, you'd need to disable it in hardware and require that such action not invalidate the warranty.
Glad to see Google is living up to their corporate motto
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Unless they suddenly good at lip reading.
I assure you, Dave, that Google would never do that.
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Unless you can make money doing it.
Those who can do. Those who can't sue.
As long as it wasn't able to be used by google or anyone else prior to this update that made it a virtual assistant, then this isn't all that big a deal.
Pragmatically and without surrounding context? Perhaps. But given the frequency and scope of privacy violations happening on a regular basis, I don't think it's "hyper-awareness" that's leading people to express concern over this revelation. I think it's simply one more link in a long and constantly growing chain of "coincidences", "accidents", and worse (e.g. negligence, intentional violation), each of which undermines our privacy and each of which have served to undermine the public's trust in the companies engaging in these practices.
If a friend every now and then started poking you so softly that you barely even noticed, you might dismiss it as an odd quirk, assuming you even noticed it. If, over the course of several years, this behavior escalated to the point that they're constantly flailing their arms, you won't be able to ignore it, particularly so if they deliver an occasional fist to your face. At some point most reasonable people would reconsider whether this "friendship" was worth the effort, but some people are more patient and tolerant than others, so they stick with that "friend". If one day this "friend" comes by your house for what has seemingly become a daily flailing session, only to head into your bedroom closet and come back out with a shovel, a tarp, and a box full of bleach, you'd have cause for concern. If they respond to your, "WHAT THE HELL?! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!", with an, "Oh, sorry, didn't I tell you that I shipped it here and snuck it into your closet a few years ago because I figured everyone loves this stuff? No? Oops!", you'd have good cause to question the motives and intent of this "friend" and whether they're actually looking out for your best interests.
For some, this mic may feel like the first fist to the face from someone they think their friend. For others, an undisclosed microphone being planted in their home is nothing short of a declaration of hostile intent. Either way, I haven't yet found a normal person who responded to the news with, "That's neat!"
Do you always dismantle everything you buy?
Just wait till people realize there's a camera in the nest thermostats. Or maybe everyone thinks it's magic that the thermostat turns the heat / air on miraculously right when you stop in front of it, and reach out your hand to touch it. Nope, shouldn't have doubted the holy NEST. It knows what to do before I tell it. Definitely not a camera inside watching for when I'm about to press a button.
Think im making it up? Try it. Stop in front of your nest thermostat,and reach towards it. See what happens.
"Prediction: within 10 years, Windows will be a Linux distribution." Me, 7-6-2016
>> Google knows you masturbate
Yeah , When are they going to tell us about the Camera ?
We are Dead Stars looking back Up at the Sky
You mean you have never searched behind your cable box IR filtered face using a digital camera? You know, to see the board mounted camera modules facing you TV consumers, that report which family members were watching the garbage on the screen? Like an IR snapshot every time the IR remote button is pressed, to log the one that did not like what was on, and what they changed it to? Why would they not be tracking how much income they are getting for the ads they see noone is watching, to determine the ratio of the swindle's profit from the ad buyers?
This built-in mike thing is only audio. Well, the sonar images of the room, and people within, are useful. Also the intel of whether or not competing voice assistants are being used, that can aid plans as well.