The Nest Secure is Google’s home security device which now supports Google Assistant. While that is a great thing for many users, it’s also concerning to others. Why? Because Google failed to disclose that the Nest Secure had a microphone. The company failed to list a microphone in the specifications.
Some users may have skipped the Nest Secure had they known it contained a microphone. Google tells Business Insider that the microphone was never meant to be a secret. The company says they made an error in not listing the feature in the specifications when the Nest Secure first went on sale.
Google does say that the microphone was never on and needs to be activated by the user for it to work. The also claim that the microphone was included to support a “broken glass” feature in the future. Still, some users aren’t all too happy that Google would make such a large error.
If @Google‘s @Nest Secure devices really had secret microphones that they hid from consumers, those consumers should probably be forgiven if they don’t trust the company’s after-the-fact promises that it never spied on them. #DontBeEvil https://t.co/sZsFC31zdV via @csoonline
— Tom Zeller Jr. (@tomzellerjr) February 20, 2019
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.
Business Insider
Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple are all facing more public scrutiny over privacy and how and what data they are collecting and using. These concerns aren’t only swirling in the tech community but even those who don’t follow tech are concerned. It’s going to be an interesting next few years as privacy and security become a larger issue for everyone.
What do you think about Google failing to disclose the microphone on the Nest Secure? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter, or Facebook. You can also comment on our MeWe page by joining the MeWe social network.
[button link=”https://www.businessinsider.com/nest-microphone-was-never-supposed-to-be-a-secret-2019-2″ side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Business Insider[/button]Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
