I recently got a Google Home Mini from my friends who visited the U.S.A during their summer break. I have been using it a lot control multimedia in my room and I have really started to use it from pretty much everything. The only thing I am slightly worried about after a few comments is the privacy side of the device. So, let’s focus on the privacy of a Google Home Mini.
First off, it is true that the microphone of the device is always on, but it’s functioning offline until you say the magic words “OK Google” or “Hey Google”. So technically it is always listening to every conversation, but Google won’t record anything until you have activated the device. After it has detected that you want to communicate with the device, it will register everything that you say in an online cloud storage. Google will learn a lot about the music you like, the series you watch and your appointments if you sync the devices with Spotify, Netflix and your calendar for example. Google then disassociates your data from your identity but uses all the combined data for data analysis to sell ads to companies, which is actually their main form of income. If you are interested in checking what google recorded of you, you can actually check your last registered activities by following this link: https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity. You can even listen to your voice recordings, which might be a bit scary …
In general, I think we should be concerned about our privacy and data, but we also need to accept that we are using devices that constantly collect data from us and companies use that data to improve their products or target you with specific ads. There are functions to turn off personalized advertisements and other privacy settings to at least control your data to some extent, but we will always be subject to data collection and we should make use of the current possibilities to make our own lives just a little bit easier every time.
What do you think? Are you interested in getting a Google home device or Alexa or are you too concerned about your privacy?
Links used:
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/alexa-google-home-privacy,news-27038.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/20/what-does-google-know-about-me.html
https://privacy.google.com/take-control.html?categories_activeEl=sign-in
Hi Raymond,
I think I fully agree with you. I don’t yet have a seperate google home or Alexa device, but I sometimes use Google Assistent on my phone. At the moment I only use it for setting timers, alarms etc. but I think technologies like Google Assistent, Alexa or Siri will be a main way of communicating with our devices in only a couple of years.
The privacy issues are complicated, but for me your phrase ‘Google then disassociates your data from your identity but uses all the combined data for data analysis to sell ads to companies’ is a factor that causes me not to worry too much. There’s not a person at Google who really has an interest in my taste in music or films. The only thing that matters for Google is that they target ads about ‘product X’ to people who like/listen/watch things related to product X.
As long as the microphone is not recording when it’s not supposed to, (for instance during private conversations with good friends, family or your partner) I think that voice-controlled systems aren’t a greater worry than the ways we use our devices and look up information right now.
Hi Raymond, thanks for your post!
I really liked that you inserted the link where you can check your own activity. To be honest I didn’t even know that these devices use your data to sell it to firms to make revenue, which I think is brash. Moreover, I think even if the device is only recording when you prompt it, it collects a lot about your environment without you even noticing, for example if the TV is on, if you are listening to the radio, if someone else is in the room etc. In my opinion this is already a bit creepy since you might not even notice that the device is recording at that time.
I happened to experience one other, in my opinion disturbing, example, which does not occur frequently but it does. A friend of mine is named Alex and they have Alexa at home. So whenever someone says his name, Alexa would think it is her time to speak up or listen. In that case, she was recording every time someone wanted to talk to Alex, which I think is unbearable.
Thus, to answer your question: no, for me it is an absolute no-go to possess a device like this. I would feel monitored and listened to on a constant basis. I wouldn’t have the feeling of privacy when I am at home anymore, which should be the case in ones own four walls.
Judith
Hi Raymond and Judith, thanks for your post and comment.
I find it very interesting how google tracks and records our personal lives and I am not sure if the devices only record conversations when we prompt the to do so.
Personally, around half a year ago I had a really creepy experience. One evening I was cooking with some friends at their place and we had a conversation in which the word California occurred very often as a friend just visited California. I have to say that my phone was lying on the table during the evening. The next day, when I was using my phone and my laptop, I suddenly got advertisement about O.C. California, the U.S. American TV-Show. I never watched the series and neither I know anyone watching it. I found this situation a bit scary as I am sure that I disabled all functions to record something, furthermore I was not using their Wifi or any other connection. Neither I googled California or O.C California. After this experience, I was wondering if google maybe listens to our conversations, takes keywords out of it without permission. In my opinion the privacy issue with phone and connected surroundings is a big issue while using these devices. I think everyone agrees that there are just things that we do not want Google to know about our lives. Despite these problems, I really agree with you that devices as Alexa or Google Home Mini can simplify or lives and make them more convenient.
Here is a really interesting test that supports that google and Facebook are listing to our conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0SOxb_Lfps