Users Alarmed by Undisclosed Microphone in Nest Security System

The Google smart home brand Nest is boiling this week after the announcement (via Daring Fireball) that its home security system, Nest Secure, came with an undisclosed microphone. Google activated the microphone earlier this month for Google Assistant features, but that meant the device was staying at users' homes for up to a year as a potentially unknown device.

Nest Secure launched a $ 500 home security system last year. It is only a collection of door, window and motion sensors, as well as a small office case serving as a hub for peripherals and a keyboard to security code. It has a speaker for alarms and other sounds, but you can not expect that you have a microphone.

Yesterday, Google told Business Insider: "The built-in microphone in the device was never intended to be a secret and should have been included in the technical specifications. It was a mistake on our part. "According to the company," the microphone has never been activated and is activated only when users activate the option specifically ".

Some consumers are opposed to products containing microphones, knowing that the FBI, hackers and other savvy entities have been able to exploit these devices and use their microphones for spying purposes.

It's hard to think of a current Google device that does not have a microphone. For Nest, there are microphones in the security hub, cameras, doorbells and smoke detectors (yes, even smoke detectors). Google builds smart speakers with microphones and smart screens, as well as phones, tablets and laptops. He also strives to introduce microphones into the sound bars of the television and into the televisions themselves.

A future compatible with voice commands, similar to Star Trek, involves the installation of a microphone in almost everything, but it is therefore essential that companies disclose these microphones and ensure that devices are updated and secured. .