Google says the built-in microphone it never told Nest users about was 'never supposed to be a secret'
Google says the
built-in microphone it never told Nest users about was 'never supposed to be a
secret'
·
In
early February, Google announced that Assistant would work
with its home security and alarm system, Nest Secure.
·
The
problem: Users didn't know a microphone existed on their Nest security devices to begin with.
·
On
Tuesday, a Google representative 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 person said. "That was an error on our
part."
Nick Bastone
February 20, 2019
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 representative 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 person said. "That was an
error on our part."
Google
says "the microphone has never been on and is only activated when users
specifically enable the option."
It also said the microphone was originally
included in the Nest Guard for the possibility of adding new security features
down the line, like the ability to detect broken glass.
Still, even if Google included the microphone in its Nest Guard device for
future updates — like its Assistant integration — the news comes as consumers
have grown increasingly wary of major tech companies and their commitment to
consumer privacy.
For Google, the revelation is particularly
problematic and brings to mind previous privacy controversies, such as the 2010
incident in which the company acknowledged that its fleet of Street View cars
"accidentally" collected personal data transmitted
over consumers' unsecured WiFi networks, including emails.
Google bought Nest —
which was initially known for its smart thermostat device — back in 2014 for
$3.2 billion. It became a standalone company in 2015 when Google reorganized as
Alphabet, but in February 2018 it was brought back into Google under the leadership
of the head hardware exec Rick Osterloh.
Today, Nest offers a variety of Internet of
Things products including smoke detectors, video doorbells, and security
cameras.
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