The Google Assistant is an incredibly powerful piece of software, but its convenience might come at a cost. According to a new report, Google recently admitted that the Assistant sometimes listens to people's conversations even when its 'Hey Google' hotword hasn't been said.
Smart speakers have become enormously popular in recent years. The original Amazon Echo seemed like a very peculiar device when it was announced in 2014, but in the time since then, these connected devices are commonplace in many people's homes. Whether it be the Amazon Echo, Google Assistant speakers, or Apple's HomePod lineup, having a speaker that can use AI to answer any question/command is no longer a strange thing. Some people have remained skeptical about the privacy aspect of these devices, and per this report, that hesitancy may have some weight to it.
On Tuesday, June 29, Google representatives spoke in a hearing with India's Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology. While it wasn't open to the public, sources from the hearing spoke to India Today and revealed something potentially worrying. Per the report, "The Google team admitted that sometimes audio was recorded by the Google Assistant on a smartphone or smart speaker even when a user had not triggered the AI by saying Ok Google." It was also stated that Google employees occasionally listen to audio recordings of users interacting with Assistant speakers for training purposes — though this is something Google's previously been very upfront about. The fact the Google Assistant is listening to people without being summoned, however? That's another story.
Android Authority reached out to Google for further comment on this report, and while Google said it couldn't "comment on stories based on unnamed sources," it directed the publication to its Safety Center website that highlights safety/privacy guidelines the company follows for the Assistant. Google notes that the Assistant "won't send what you are saying to Google or anyone else" until it's activated with a 'Hey Google' command. It also says that the Assistant can sometimes mistakenly activate if it thinks it hears the hotword — something every Google Assistant user has likely experienced at one point or another. This may be what the Google representatives were referring to in this hearing, but one would assume they would have explained as such if that were the case. At the same time, one quote from an unknown source isn't exactly the end-all-be-all.
Comments like this certainly won't do anything to get Assistant-skeptics to change their tune any time soon, but what about people that already have a bunch of Google Assistant devices in their home? Should they start getting rid of them ASAP? For most people, probably not. There's a general assumption that some level of privacy is given up with any smart speaker. They're convenient, affordable, and fun to use, but companies like Google and Amazon have to get something out of them, too.
If Google really is using Assistant speakers to secretly listen to conversations — and that's still a big if — it's not doing anything nefarious with that data. If anything, it's used to improve Assistant voice detection so 'Hey Google' is more accurate. It's perfectly fine to keep avoiding smart speakers if someone isn't comfortable with them, but for everyone else, there's likely nothing here to take serious issue with.
Source: India Today, Android Authority
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