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I unplugged my Google Home Mini long back because of this unethical spying.
But, clearly they are so I'm obviously wrong.
One company controlling all these electronics in my house. How do people not find that disturbing?
There’s so many things I find disturbing that whether my is Google speaker is listening to me doesn’t even crack the Top 10. What’s the negative outcome? I don’t believe this is the start of an inevitable slippery slope decline into a Big Brother surveillance state. Yeah maybe they’ll get more data and target ads better, but that’s a good thing. I want to know about products that might interest me and then buy them!
Also, that is just talking about the worst outcome, there are plenty of horrible possible intermediate outcomes, with the data being sold without restriction or not properly protected.
How could people on HN be surprised about that kind of thing ?
We would all be surprised if it turns out that a giant corporation who sells you always-on networked microphones wasn't abusing it in any way, shape or form. Here's a slippery slope for you: 1. "OK Google, order pizza from Sal's." 2. "Broken glass detected in living room. Should I call police?" 3. "The baby has been crying for more than 60 minutes. Do you want assistance?" 4. "Shots fired. Calling 911 now." 2016-2020…
Sure, but pair that with "Shazam!" style song recognition and now it knows you're watching a movie, and what movie it is, and can more easily filter for false positives there, no?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
There’s so many things I find disturbing that whether my is Google speaker is listening to me doesn’t even crack the Top 10. What’s the negative outcome? I don’t believe this is the start of an inevitable slippery slope decline into a Big Brother surveillance state. Yeah maybe they’ll get more data and target ads better, but that’s a good thing. I want to know about products that might interest me and then buy them!
you can't imagine the problem of having your private conversations recorded, then a business compelled to release them without a warrant? You can't imagine what inferences might be made about your personal conversations and sold to others? I do not think you are giving the words you say enough credit.
I just don’t particularly care.
Also if someone wants to cut out the middleman and buy my personal conversations directly, feel free to reach out. Great value! Last night I talked about weed and Top Chef!
Earlier quoted context omitted.
There’s so many things I find disturbing that whether my is Google speaker is listening to me doesn’t even crack the Top 10. What’s the negative outcome? I don’t believe this is the start of an inevitable slippery slope decline into a Big Brother surveillance state. Yeah maybe they’ll get more data and target ads better, but that’s a good thing. I want to know about products that might interest me and then buy them!
The infrastructure of the Big Brother surveillance machine is the same as the infrastructure of the target-ads-better machine, the only difference is who is in charge of it. And relying solely on our current mechanisms to prevent the system being co-opted is naive. Especially given it’s already public record that some of these mechanisms have already been co-opted. Also, that is just talking about the worst outcome,…
I just don’t believe any of these are particularly horrible when considered in the context of the assorted horrors of the world today.
Sounds like a similar feature (“Sound Recognition”) that is coming in iOS 14. https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-14-preview/features/ It’s not clear from the article but I assume the Google implementation was pushed out to users and turned on by default (likely without a notification that the device would now start doing this). Since the iOS feature is listed under “Accessibility” I would assume that it’s opt-in.
In my perfect world, there would be excellent open source software and hardware designs for home monitoring, etc., where we would have 100% control of our own data. We don't have a perfect world, and right now, Apple seems like the best bet (for me at least) for a company to trust (with healthy skepticism).
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The infrastructure of the Big Brother surveillance machine is the same as the infrastructure of the target-ads-better machine, the only difference is who is in charge of it. And relying solely on our current mechanisms to prevent the system being co-opted is naive. Especially given it’s already public record that some of these mechanisms have already been co-opted. Also, that is just talking about the worst outcome,…
> there are plenty of horrible intermediate steps which could happen I just don’t believe any of these are particularly horrible when considered in the context of the assorted horrors of the world today.
Then I could solve all your worries save one by stabbing you in the neck. But I don't think that's a good deal.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
you can't imagine the problem of having your private conversations recorded, then a business compelled to release them without a warrant? You can't imagine what inferences might be made about your personal conversations and sold to others? I do not think you are giving the words you say enough credit.
Of course I can imagine those problems! Those problems are brought up literally every time I mention that in-home speakers are not the end-of-the-world-nightmare-scenario so many people treat them as. I just don’t particularly care. Also if someone wants to cut out the middleman and buy my personal conversations directly, feel free to reach out. Great value! Last night I talked about weed and Top Chef!
I unplugged my Google Home Mini long back because of this unethical spying.
Interesting technology, but I would rather have everything on hardware and software that I control.