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4K views 37 replies 24 participants last post by  The Branch Manager 
#1 ·
Do any of you have a Google Home device? I got mine for Christmas, I mainly listen to music on it when I'm cooking, cleaning, gardening. Anyways, I read an article today http://www.independent.ie/world-news/google-voice-searches-records-and-keeps-conversations-people-have-around-their-phones-but-the-files-can-be-deleted-35582500.html

and I followed the tips to see if it had my voice recordings (Such as- OK google- what does a dog sound like? OK google what's the best price for .22 rounds?".... (go to myactivity.google.com) obviously you need to log into your google account...... and lo and behold it DID. I literally listened recordings of me, when I asked those questions...WTF!!!!I'm super freaked out now and I am considering returning it. WTF is this? Why is it saving my voice recordings? Not good, not good friends...
 
#2 ·
Its not just Google, do you use SIRI, XBOXONE, Amazons's ALEXA? They all do it. Everything you say into one of those devices transverses the internet back to central processing, which records the data, transcribes it, and produces a response to your query. The company then keeps that data on file for an undetermined time (indefinately). Furthermore, they likely are using it to build a profile on you, just as they do google searches, to provide demographics to marketers willing to pay, and provided targeted advertising with higher click through rates.

Google at least lets you hear whats been recorded, the truth is between CCTV, Cellphones, GPS, Toll passes and internet searches, everything we are doing is being monitored and recorded nearly 24 hours a day,

Then again if you use Facebook, foursquare or any of those other social suicide apps, you are contributing further to the problem.

It should freak you out. Just do your best to think about it in the future. Anything that connects to a network and can gather/transmit information, can be dangerous. When the internet enabled toasters start coming out, just dont forget.
 
#3 ·
I'll tell you this much...where I work you need to pay a toll. For 4 years I paid cash (thats when I began working over there). Recently MA implemented cashless tolls. Now, you have no choice. You must have a scanner pass otherwise you pay more for the toll (and they send you a bill by scanning your plate). This is crap. They say they don't track people or your speed limit between tolls (you cross toll a and then toll b within 10 minutes, which is 1 minute too fast...so they send you a citation for speeding) I think it's a lie. Who knows.
 
#5 ·
Of course they track you, and if they're not storing it right now it's just because they haven't perfected how to do that yet. The early days of a program like this are all about sorting out the processes.

I received a call from my insurance company and they told me they have a way to save me money on my car insurance. I indicated interest and they suggested a device I can plug into my car that I can use to show how safe a driver I am. That's a fairly new technology, and right now it's voluntary, but I'm sure it will be compulsory after a while
 
#6 ·
True that brother.... definitely in the future. And if you say no- your premium will be way higher than everyone else, or your'll be denied. All i can say is I don't care for the technology.I only bought a laptap this past year- hate it. I feel like everything I look at, buy, read is collected. Someone I know is getting married...recently started to see popup ads from MY bank saying stuff about wedding things- uhhhh what? No good.
 
#7 ·
...and if you think that's scary, check this...

Congress has just rolled back privacy protection laws. If the President signs it, ALL your data from Google/Alexa/Siri/etc. and ALL your browsing history, and ALL your Internet transactions and other information, including health records - every little thing the Internet knows about you can now be sold to the highest bidder.

Let's put these two pieces of information together:

(1) Google/Siri/Alexa/etc. collects everything and anything including nearby conversations

(2) The Federal government removes protections so that the data the ISP's hold can be freely shared and sold to anyone

Be afraid:
http://lifehacker.com/senate-votes-to-let-internet-providers-sell-your-web-hi-1793574677
.
.
 
#9 ·
What did you think happened if you use the google voice commands? It records it and sends it, and matches it with other samples (simplified) to see what you asked. It keeps your voice to use as a sample too so it can "understand" other people and you better. It would be impossible to get to work if they didn't do that.

Easy solution: don't use something like Siri.

minitruck83: Same thing. How would a voice controlled tv remote know that you're giving a command, without picking up other things than commands too? Remotes aren't psychic, which is what you'd need to if you'd want to give a command before giving it, and turning itself on.

It's all common sense.
 
#11 ·
Because you have no idea how voice recognition works? Or because by any physics law in existence, sofar, we can't determine that you'll give a voice command before you'll give it and it can't turn its mic on just before you give the command since sound IS the input it needs :p. Pretty sure you can find models which work like Siri etc, where you push a button to activate the mic, but it'll still record all your commands since that's just how it works.

People just need to learn how the technology they use works (atleast the basics), before complaining that it does its job but expecting it to do it by magical means ;)
 
#12 ·
google home, windows 10, this is all becoming common place.. it wasnt enough the feds created facebook to record and document all your social interactions, friends, and family (just listen to zucherberg sometimes, he doesnt have the brains to do it) and you can see a pattern with all these technologies and its to expand on NSA recording your phone calls and browser searches and emails, but to record the things you say and do in your own home

there should be laws against such technologies covertly recording in home activity and conversations and putting them online, but none of our politicians are talking about this and none of them will

welcome to 2017, the 4th amendment including the spirit in which is was created to protect our privacy is all null and void
 
#16 ·
Do any of you have a Google Home device? I got mine for Christmas, I mainly listen to music on it when I'm cooking, cleaning, gardening. Anyways, I read an article today http://www.independent.ie/world-new...es-but-the-files-can-be-deleted-35582500.html

and I followed the tips to see if it had my voice recordings (Such as- OK google- what does a dog sound like? OK google what's the best price for .22 rounds?".... (go to myactivity.google.com) obviously you need to log into your google account...... and lo and behold it DID. I literally listened recordings of me, when I asked those questions...WTF!!!!I'm super freaked out now and I am considering returning it. WTF is this? Why is it saving my voice recordings? Not good, not good friends...
Had a relative buy the whole extended family echos for christmass. We've never taken ours out of the package. Just not comfortable with something that is so blatantly surveilling us and so easy for that surveillance to be accessed.
 
#19 ·
I've long spoken out against "junk/gadget" technology. It was easy to see how and where it was going to become a problem. I define tech as either appropriate or junk/gadget simply enough. Appropriate technology solves a current need. Where as junk/gadget technology is something you have to find a use for. It's simple enough to avoid problems with it by simply avoiding it. And maybe in doing so, we can recapture some of what little is left of our culture that the smart phone addicts have destroyed.

Cell phones filled a current need. Voice operated remote controls? Seriously?
 
#21 ·
Yikes this whole subject is freaking me out! We don't have one of those devices, and we have covered the camera on the rim of our laptops but geez, is there any way to protect our privacy any longer?

Wow, really makes me want to get totally off the grid. Really.

And BTW how long before they have smart toilets? They already have smart TV. It's only a matter of time before smart toilets, showers and everything else that uses water....possibly our most precious resource.

And I absolutely don't want my "privacy" in the bathroom compromised!!!!!!!!!!
 
#27 ·
And BTW how long before they have smart toilets? They already have smart TV. It's only a matter of time before smart toilets, showers and everything else that uses water....possibly our most precious resource.

And I absolutely don't want my "privacy" in the bathroom compromised!!!!!!!!!!
You're late to the party, smart toilets were launched in 2012 and hacked in 2013:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2384826/Satis-smart-toilets-Japan-hacked-hijacked-remotely.html
 
#23 ·
I think the lesson here is to think before you buy.

Why in hell would you want Google or, God forbid, the Great Satan Amazon to have an extensive list of your voice recordings and know what you are interested in?

If you are interested in guns, shooting and the presidential elections, next thing you know they have enough of your words to show, "Alexa, where can I buy a gun to shoot the president?"
 
#24 ·
I wouldn't trust any of those type of devices. I believe they record constantly.

"Inside, detectives discovered a bevy of “smart home” devices, including a Nest thermostat, a Honeywell alarm system, a wireless weather monitoring system and an Amazon Echo. Police seized the Echo and served a warrant to Amazon, noting in the affidavit there was “reason to believe that Amazon.com is in possession of records related to a homicide investigation being conducted by the Bentonville Police Department.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...wont-give-up-her-data/?utm_term=.f5ab9deeea87

http://www.businessinsider.com/amaz...s-to-police-in-an-arkansas-murder-case-2017-3
 
#26 ·
Its not only a problem of being recorded. What type of firewall solution do you have in your home. Do you restrict incoming and outgoing ports? Do you allow PnP NAT to occur. If you dont know, or rely on AT&T, Comcast, (insert other ISP here) to provide that, you know that anyone can bypass it by logging into the modem remotely using the carrier repair interface. Its not just the .gov or commercial companies that are using this stuff against you. If you have to rely on apple, microsoft, amazon, etc to secure these devices with patches and updates, then you also are at the mercy of hackers. A hacker that infects one of the IoT (internet of things) devices now has access to your whole network, inside your secure firewalled zone. From there they can record and browse everything from your network camera and microphones, scanner, computer, network attached storage, etc. IF your firewall is set to allow outgoing PnP NAT or is wide open for outgoing port filtering, than all af that data can be pushed out of your network, anywhere they want. Now if you set up outgoing filtering and only open the ports you need to open and lock down by mac address or IP, you limit the attack surface, even if a device is compromised.

If you do not know how to secure both incoming and outgoing network traffic with a business grade firewall or softwall (like PFSense), religiously run updates, patches, bug fixes, and antivirus/malware protection, and like to install crappy 3rd party apps like candy crush, or flashlight (on your phone), or use platforms like java, shockwave, etc., then you really shouldn't do/use/store, anything of importance on a computer, scanner, printer, phone, etc. I know that 99.999% of people do not operate under these conditions. I also know many law offices, Dr offices, etc also do not operate like this which means anything you tell them, is at risk.

Ask yourself this simple question - do you run antivirus on your phone? If the answer is "no, should I " or "I have an iphone", you need to recognize that you have blinders on and if you care, you should start learning about every tech gadget you own and how to secure them before adding more.

Rule of thumb - if it touches or has the capability to touch a network via cellular, wifi, bluetooth, ethernet, fiberoptic, pots (phone line), long range laser, or microwave transmission, or contains wirelessly trackable proximity technology such as RFID, you need to think about how to secure it before figuring out how to set it up.
 
#31 ·
Do any of you have a Google Home device? I got mine for Christmas, I mainly listen to music on it when I'm cooking, cleaning, gardening. Anyways, I read an article today http://www.independent.ie/world-new...es-but-the-files-can-be-deleted-35582500.html

and I followed the tips to see if it had my voice recordings (Such as- OK google- what does a dog sound like? OK google what's the best price for .22 rounds?".... (go to myactivity.google.com) obviously you need to log into your google account...... and lo and behold it DID. I literally listened recordings of me, when I asked those questions...WTF!!!!I'm super freaked out now and I am considering returning it. WTF is this? Why is it saving my voice recordings? Not good, not good friends...
If you have a smartphone or use the Internet it's the same thing. They track and record everything you do. If you're planning on doing or saying anything incriminating just unplug the device. Just also be sure to remove all other electronics from your area as well.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
#32 ·
The wife and I were talking about this the other day.... after watching a commercial for Alexa. I would never have that in my house, or Google home, etc... The NSA can already listen through SMART TV's and computers and cell phones....why invite them into my home with one of those 'Citizen Monitoring Devices'?

No SMART TV's in my home and I am doing everything I can to limit the vulnerability of my computers and phones.

And now that our law makers have made it legal of providers to legally monitor and harvest all the data on me they want....I am trying to think that through as well. I hear that services from Australia are a good deal, as they are supposed to be super strict....illegal to monitor.
 
#36 ·
#38 ·
I'm a habitual goggle maps user for work. In my activity, there's a map that gets "pinged" for every time your connected device stops. I think that's even scarier than the goggle/ alexa/siri recordings. I won't give it up for convenience, but I'm very aware of its tracking. My personal errands get ran without the phone coming along.

15-20 years ago, had you have told me I'd willing take an electronic tether that uploaded my every move, I'd have said no way. Now, I'm looking back at how much smarter I was back then.

I have an information addiction. Anyone know a 12 step program ?
 
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