Google Says the Built-in Microphone it Never Told Nest Users About Was 'Never Supposed To Be a Secret'

An anonymous reader shares a report: In early February, Google announced that its home security and alarm system Nest Secure would be getting an update. Users, the company said, could now enable its virtual-assistant technology, Google Assistant. The problem: Nest users didn't know a microphone existed on their security device to begin with. The existence of a microphone on the Nest Guard, which is the alarm, keypad, and motion-sensor component in the Nest Secure offering, was never disclosed in any of the product material for the device. On Tuesday, a Google spokesperson told Business Insider the company had made an 'error.' 'The on-device microphone was never intended to be a secret and should have been listed in the tech specs,' the spokesperson said. 'That was an error on our part.'

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