Google Home - Assistant or Invasion of Privacy?

adam456 on 20/12/2017 - 10:53
Last edited 20/12/2017 - 10:54

So far, I am fairly impressed with Google Home in my living room. Handy when cooking to set timers, ask it to tell me the news while making breakfast and literally just find out random bits of information when needed.

My only concern is the change from a private space in my own home to now essentially a public space as i believe everything that is uploaded to google is stored in their servers (most likely) forever. I know the easy solution is to just not use it, but is this all fear and fabrication that google isn't actually keeping anonymous information but is actually using it to build a profile about each user?

Or is this just some Orwellian paranoia?

Would love to know the thoughts of everyone.

Electrical & Electronics Google Speakers Voice Assistant

Comments

  • Diji1 on 20/12/2017 - 10:59
    +6

    Google business model is collecting every single piece of data it can about you, including every single thing you say if you own a Google Home, and then using that to sell your attention to third parties to manipulate you into spending more money. You have no awareness that you have been manipulated like with all marketing.

    So if you want to lose money without knowing it, buy a Google Home.

    • Adz81 on 20/12/2017 - 11:34
      +2

      Not just marketing, but all sorts of uses. But then as Scrimshaw's pointed out, Google's been doing this for years.

      Whilst it's not really all that different to the information collected by your smartphone, I find the idea of knowingly having an always on recording device in my household a bit on the "meh" side and won't be getting one (yes, I realise that a phone could be used for the same recording).

      Semi-related interesting read:

      https://www.wired.com/story/age-of-social-credit/

    • dcep on 20/12/2017 - 14:49
      +2

      Ozb business model is to provide users a platform to post every single piece of deal out there, including every single thing that you don't need, and then using that to confuse your attention on saving money through participating every bargain deals whilst manipulate you into spending more money. You have no awareness that you have been manipulated like with all marketing.

      So if you want to lose money without knowing it, visit Ozb everyday.

    • klaw81 on 06/01/2018 - 09:26
      +3

      This statement is misleading and has a very distinct bias.

      Here's some facts:
      1. A Google Home only listens for the trigger word, and does not record audio without hearing the trigger phrase.
      2. When triggered by the designated phrase, the GH will record and store audio for a short period. This audio is then processed to execute commands (search, play music, operate devices).
      3. You can go back and listen to everything that Google Home has recorded, and delete things if you wish.
      4. Searches, requests etc made to the Google Home will be stored as part of your personal profile.
      5. Google uses your personal profile to provide targeted advertising to you.

      It's worth noting that most modern smartphones do effectively the same thing, and data gleaned from using a smartphone personal assistant will also likely be used to build a personal profile and may be used to sell you advertising.

      Google doesn't force you to buy anything - it just delivers ads that you may be interested in. This is not a secret, nor is it under-handed or sneaky. They don't buy things with your money, or steal from your bank account. Any money you spend is your own responsibility.

      My personal take: I prefer targeted advertising over non-targeted spam - I'd much prefer to see ads for items I might actually want to buy.

  • scrimshaw on 20/12/2017 - 11:15
    +8

    Even before and after Google Home made it's way into your living room, I feel that 'big brother' situation hasn't really changed much. Google has already built a very solid profile of you using other Google products that you've been using since the last decade, way before Google Home was invented.

    For example:
    Your google searches and web browsing history using Google Chrome, your interests and favs on Youtube, the events you add on Calendar, your sent email subjects, the SPAM mail you receive and the filenames / filetypes you attach on Gmail, the contacts you add to your Google address book. All of this data collection is stated explicitly here

    You may already realize that for many years now, you have been carrying a device in your pocket that has pretty much been logging your location wherever you go (even when the user has turned off Location Services setting). Even on a phone that has a broken GPS module the Big G can still work out where you are, mostly thanks to the myriad of sensors a typical smartphone has.

    TLDR: even with Google Home as your housemate: not much of a difference to how much data is collected, as long as you are still carrying your Android phone and continue to use google websites / software.

    • poboy on 20/12/2017 - 11:26

      Just to add to this, Google also knows what you're buying.

      Their only limitation is data storage and transmission speed. As quantum computing arises they will most certainly begin to store everything you say, then data mine that.

      Sure, they can earn good money from the data but the bigger game is control. They can subtly sway your opinion and therefore political opinion.

      Governments could continually harass Google (and other big data companies) but then be willing to drop or change policy in return for a back door or access to information.

      • scrimshaw on 20/12/2017 - 11:47

        Yes. They seem to know some but not all of what I purchase.

        https://i.imgur.com/v6CqtBd.png

        This tracking however can be opted out of. But the retailer themselves that use and pay for Google analytics will still keep metadata anyway.

        Also you when use cashback programs, or loyalty programs such as FlyBuys or WW Rewards, you are essentially opting into data collection. Guess where they sell this data to… market research companies, who are essentially Google's end clients and partners.

    • adam456 on 20/12/2017 - 11:27

      This is a really good point but do you think letting into your living room is taking down the one final barrier to privacy you have (ie. general conversations in your living room which are actively being listen to)?

      • scrimshaw on 20/12/2017 - 11:40
        +2

        If google really wants to listen in to your conversations, they would just get rid of hotwords entirely and make your cellphone and tablet start responding to human voices.

        They could also listen in to your Hangouts calls

  • [Deactivated] on 20/12/2017 - 11:15

    Both

  • CyberMurning on 20/12/2017 - 11:19

    once you are connected to internet (reading smh, check email, post in ozb, check weather) there is no more privacy. full stop.

  • gavbro on 20/12/2017 - 11:36
    +2

    If there is a future where Google or whoever it is understands who I am and only connects me with products and services that I find genuinely valuable and meaningful then I'm all for that future.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/12/2017 - 11:57
    +1

    If you own a smartphone, this is pretty much a non-issue. The sort of stunts this thing can pull are nothing compared to a GPS, mic and camera enabled tracking device. :)

    I don't have one simply because I don't need one. It's a fun convenience, but not all that useful at the moment, but I can see me building that tech into something in the future.

    I've got elderly rellies who do have one and it's been something of a life-changer for them. When your mobility is limited and walking from one room to another can be difficult, having a little device to answer simple questions and play music just by voice command is really handy.

  • Ryanek on 20/12/2017 - 12:11
    +2

    Check out this interesting video on YouTube. A couple tested the Facebook app to see if it listened in on their conversation so they started talking about cat food. Facebook eventually started posting cat food ads on their feed.

    I would not be surprised if the video was legit.

    • inherentchoice on 20/12/2017 - 15:41

      I mentioned the word Poland in FB messenger and now I get ads for a migration agent that can get me Polish citizenship.

    • furys12 on 21/12/2017 - 09:14

      that video doesnt show anywhere near enough testing or actual proof, i'm not saying its impossible mind you but that video is no where near enough proof

  • [Deactivated] on 20/12/2017 - 12:43
    +2

    I think people are over reacting. Everyone needs to understand google home's strengths & weaknesses and use it as an assistant instead of letting it makes decisions for you(it can't)
    There is nothing GH is doing your not already doing on a web browser. The difference is your asking GH to do something for you instead of you doing it that's all. In all my years (30+)of using Google or any other browser I've made my own purchase decisions without any influence. If I had a major purchase to make I did my own research on the product or service. That way whatever google,yahoo,facebook or anybody else threw at me was meaningless to me.
    I don't fall for the marketing hype & I don't believe what the government tells me 😁. Btw the gvt has all the information about you ,you have nothing to hide. Probably google does too, but you can decide for yourself & let them wonder why you can't be influenced.

    • poboy on 20/12/2017 - 13:33
      +1

      So your purchases weren't biased by organic search result rankings, 'testimonials', 'product reviews', available range, fatigue or emotions?

      That's simply not possible.

      You are being influenced everyday. The only way to remain vigilant about this is to admit it.

      • [Deactivated] on 20/12/2017 - 13:38

        Never got influenced. I would read a review after something broke .

  • Lord Fart Bucket on 20/12/2017 - 12:44

    Well… might as well go back to the dark ages then:

    http://www.chicagonow.com/listing-beyond-forty/2014/05/nsa-s…

    According to an NSA analyst speaking under the condition of anonymity, the NSA has established partnerships with several major fitness tracker brands. He declined to name the specific fitness tracker manufacturers involved since they are not actually aware that they are partnered with the NSA.

    He laughed when he said that.

    (Yes, i know it's doubtable to say the least… but if we're going to be paranoid, let's go all the way)

  • John Kimble on 20/12/2017 - 13:01
    +2

    You can delete all recordings by visiting https://myactivity.google.com/

    Unless you are saying you think they are somehow recording and saving it elsewhere without your permission…

  • pernunz on 20/12/2017 - 13:15
    +2

    as i believe everything that is uploaded to google is stored in their servers (most likely) forever

    If you really want to investigate that claim, you can look at the upload traffic from your wifi network when you are making noise in the living room and have not triggered the hotwords on the product. This was how the fault in the Google Home Mini was discovered (skeptics might suggest this wasn't a fault, however)

    Through the app you can see (and listen to) all the recordings that were triggered once the hotword was activated

    From their website:

    When you delete items from My Activity, they are permanently removed from your Google Account. You will no longer get suggestions, like search terms or recommended videos, based on activity you've deleted. Google might keep some data with your account about your use of products and services.

    You can choose not to believe that if you want, however.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/12/2017 - 13:56

    Congrats for being more aware of your privacy, however if you have a Smartphone, it's probably already happening.

    • adam456 on 20/12/2017 - 14:04

      That was my thought as well, oh well, looks like they get you either way. Unless you go live like a nomad in the outback, this seems like the reality in the future.

      • [Deactivated] on 20/12/2017 - 16:59

        don't let it get you down, privacy is still important to be aware of

  • whooah1979 on 20/12/2017 - 20:03
    +1

    https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.news.com.au/technology/o…
    Almost exactly three years ago then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott visited Beijing for talks with Chinese President XI Jinping.

    And an official in the Abbott party decided to take precautions after checking in to the allocated hotel room.

    First step, the television set was unplugged, just in case.

    Click to link to read the rest.

  • theya on 21/12/2017 - 09:03

    Google's main business is that of data. And probably their biggest use of that data is training machine learning algorithms to do things for them whether it be self driving car algorithms (notice all the captcha's recently being related to roads/road signs), content recommendation algorithms items/adverts/YouTube videos (they have been doing this for ages now), improve their translation service, improve their speech recognition, improve their search, improve their maps service (I've noticed Google maps can now tell if I'm at places I am usually at or if I am visiting new places (it asks me to leave a review sometimes if I go to a new place), it can tell when I have finished a trip and offers to save my parking spot on the map when I'm haven't parked at the actual destination, notifies me about traffic on my usual commute etc…

    As for all of this I perosnally don't really mind too much as I am either going to welcome the improvements in service they provide or as a smart consumer I am careful about how i spend my money and what influences my purchases.
    The second point there is fairly important because it actually works in influencing people purchasing decisions and thus everyone must be wary of it, unfortunately not everyone is. In general I'm not too worried about private business having data like this because the worst they will do with it is try to sell/market stuff to me.

    Where things do get sketchy is when government or malicious hackers have this data, because governments can do a lot more than sell you stuff with that data, and as history (heck even today) most governments civilisation has seen don't exactly have a bleeding heart for the common man.

  • furys12 on 21/12/2017 - 09:24
    +1

    I believe everything that is uploaded to google is stored in their servers

    Even if its not the meta data they glean from it will be but that's not really the point, it's about whether or not the information they phone home versus the service they offer is worth it to you.

    I'm not one to believe that devices like the home are always recording and sending 24/7 streams of your home back to base, it's just too plain easy to prove if they were,but whatever you believe, if that's worth it to you then who cares, some people will always be super privacy concerned and other won't, if you believe they are listening to you talk about cat food when you don't think they should be and thats not worth a kitchen timer then throw it out

  • [Deactivated] on 21/12/2017 - 09:43

    Both of course

  • GunnerMcDagget on 26/12/2017 - 00:00
    +1

    One day people will hack google and they will find out that I like to listen to metal music. I'm sure they will use this information to take over the world.

  • lgacb08 on 05/01/2018 - 23:08

    that's fine, we don't speak English at home, our languague is considered minority and has poor ROI so it'll be a while until google can do something about it.

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