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A coalition of privacy advocacy groups are urging federal regulators to recall Google's new $50 smart speaker, after a malfunction in some early units caused it to secretly record conversations.
The Google Home Mini has not actually shipped yet — the device is slated to go on sale October 19th — but product reviewers at various media organizations have had early access to evaluation units for weeks. One reviewer from Android Police reported that a glitch in his device's touchpad caused the puck-shaped to record everything he said, rather than only when activated.
The glitch "allowed Google to intercept and record private conversations in homes without the knowledge or consent of the consumer," reads a letter to the head of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on Friday, signed by 10 consumer and privacy advocacy groups.
"It is important to underscore that the failure of the Google device stems from the design of the “touch pad.” There is no simple solution that will restore the correct functionality of the device," the letter continues.
http://www.businessinsider.com/consu...e-mini-2017-10
The Google Home Mini has not actually shipped yet — the device is slated to go on sale October 19th — but product reviewers at various media organizations have had early access to evaluation units for weeks. One reviewer from Android Police reported that a glitch in his device's touchpad caused the puck-shaped to record everything he said, rather than only when activated.
The glitch "allowed Google to intercept and record private conversations in homes without the knowledge or consent of the consumer," reads a letter to the head of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on Friday, signed by 10 consumer and privacy advocacy groups.
"It is important to underscore that the failure of the Google device stems from the design of the “touch pad.” There is no simple solution that will restore the correct functionality of the device," the letter continues.
http://www.businessinsider.com/consu...e-mini-2017-10