Posted on 07/12/2019 6:37:00 PM PDT by ETL
Google's smart speakers allow contractors for the tech giant to listen to excerpts of private conversations, including some with potentially sensitive information, according to a new investigation from a Belgian public broadcaster.
This news is the latest in a series of reports about recordings from Big Tech's in-home devices being accessible to workers.
According to VRT NWS, which reviewed more than 1,000 recorded excerpts – 153 of which should not have been recorded because the "OK, Google" command was not given – one contractor said he transcribes around 1,000 audio clips from Google Assistant every week.
However, sometimes the recording can be triggered when someone in the room or nearby utters a word or words that sound like "OK, Google."
The Sundar Pichai-led tech giant calls those instances a "false accept."
One of the sources who spoke to VRT NWS described a recording in which he "heard a woman who was in definite distress."
Other conversations recorded included those in bedrooms and conversations between parents and children.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
#14 You should look out your window for any vans parked nearby.... maybe you notice someone has been in your home when you were away.... Have a good night sleep and do not worry, someone is keeping an eye on you : )
A radio guy did this too. They were discussing some product in their home and that product suddenly showed on their social media feed. So they started to discuss at home with phones near and not off, some product they were not interested in, just pretending to be, and boom, it showed up as ads in their social media feeds.
Tech giant’s smart speakers eavesdrop on private conversations.
Well DUH ever wonder why they were invented.
When video isn’t enough move up a notch.
So they started to discuss at home with phones near and not off, some product they were not interested in, just pretending to be, and boom, it showed up as ads in their social media feeds.
Here below is what the device *might* suggest that you buy if it overheard one of these common expressions in a ("private") conversation...
________________________
“when pigs fly!”
________________________
“a piece of cake.”
________________________
“letting the cat out of the bag”
________________________
“feeling under the weather”
________________________
“killing two birds with one stone.”
________________________
“adding insult to injury”
________________________
“you can’t judge a book by its cover.”
________________________
“Break a leg”
________________________
“(you) hit the nail on the head”
________________________
“speak of the devil...”
Yes, I DON'T have much else to do today. At least not until later. :)
Do you really think your smartphone is not doing the same thing as the Amazon “Echo” and the Google “Assistant” ?
In Orwell’s fiction, the telescreens were mandated by big brother. Orwell did not envision people voluntarily signing up and paying for the privilege of being monitored 24/7.
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