Nest Home Security Devices Have a Hidden Microphone. Google Calls It an "Error."
Google's Nest Secure home security device is meant to do what its name suggests: make homes safer. But, in a completely unsurprising turn, the device is now sparking privacy concerns. The tech giant failed to notify users that its home security device came equipped with a microphone, an oversight Google has called an "error," per Business Insider.
The discovery was made sort of by accident. Earlier this month, Google notified users that Nest Guard was now compatible with the company's Home Assistant voice-control function. However, to be compatible with a voice control feature, the device would need to have a microphone, and Google had never made mention of a mic embedded in the device.
While the company insists the mic wasn't meant to be a secret. "The on-device microphone was never intended to be a secret and should have been listed in the tech specs," a spokesperson told Business Insider. But its existence lends credence the very real paranoia about the plethora of microphone-equipped devices all around us-that big tech is eavesdropping on us to fuel advertising schemes. And the fact that Google seemingly forgot to tell everyone about it doesn't help.
The microphone wasn't disclosed or listed in any of the product materials, though now the company has updated its information to include it. Google promises that the microphone isn't turned on by default, and a company spokesperson described its ostensible function: "Security systems often include microphones to provide features that rely on sound sensing." That could mean alerting users to forcible entries in homes, such as breaking windows.
The admission does very little to stem the increasingly common suspicion that internet-enabled devices are constantly spying on their users, or failing to appropriately secure them from data breaches or hacks. Just earlier this month, Google drew similar ire over its Nest devices after a string of attacks saw hackers commandeer the device's cameras. Google's next course of action was to implore users to secure their login credentials with things like two-factor identification.
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