The Google Home Mini is a small puck-shaped speaker that lets you interact with Google Assistant. This voice control platform debuted last year on the Pixel and the regular Google Home. The Home Mini costs a mere $50, though, and includes almost all the features of the larger Home. The idea is that you can say “OK Google” or “Hey Google” whenever you’re near the device to begin issuing commands to smart home devices and asking questions. However, there’s also a touch-sensitive button on the top that can initiate a voice command, and this is apparently the problem.
Russakovskii noticed his review unit waking itself up quite frequently, as indicated by the lights on top. Google’s online account security and privacy tools include an activity timeline that can be filtered to specific products and services, and Android Police confirmed that the Home Mini was indeed uploading thousands of audio snippets to Google’s servers as if they were user commands. Of course, none of them returned valid responses from Assistant as they were not valid commands. Every single one was still accessible in Russakovskii’s Google settings, though.
Now, think about that. Google was recording a tech reviewer who runs the site “Android Police” 24/7. This “bug” hit his unit purely by coincidence, and broadcast everything in his house to Google. Sure it could be a coincidence, but suppose it wasn’t. If it wasn’t, Google was playing the intel game.
It is only paranoia if literally everyone isn’t out to get you.
Don’t be evil. Muawhahahahahaha.
[…] A guy who runs some site called “Android Police” discovered his Google puck was recordin…. He should arrest them. I’m starting to think Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” motto didn’t last long enough for them to get out of the room after coming up with it. […]
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Paranoia is the best policy.