It is precisely se messages that buyers of smart speakers do not want to read: Individual test devices of Google Home Mini, correlated edition of home, have permanently overheard ir owners. Before devices are officially sold next week, Google has now released an update that permanently deactivates responsible function.

Artem Russakovskii of technology blog Android Police had noticed in days following announcement of HomeMini last week alserstes that speaker not only responded to command "O.K. Google" – as it should be – but repeatedly randomly on dialogs Jumped out of TV. When he called in his Google Kontodas activity log, he saw thousands of entries that DasMini's device had sent to Google's server. Apparently, correctly constantly listened.

Loudspeaker registers "Phantom touches"

Russakovskii contacted Google and Unternehmenreagierte prompt. Google sent an employee to Russakovskii same day to pick up and analyze device.

A day later, Google had identified problem: on top of home Mini, under cloth panel, is "Top touch" button. If you press and hold DieNutzer, you can also activate speaker without a voice command. However, in case of individual test devices, which were distributed to journalists after presentation, device registered "phantom touches" and turned somitimmer on again.

Google asserts that only a GeringeAnzahl of home Minis are affected, including no pre-orders. However, company has decided to completely disable top touch function via a software update. The corresponding update will appear in coming days. The home mini can n only be activated PerSprachbefehl. In addition, logs of stored voice inputs that affected devices have registered illegally are deleted from Google servers.

The meltdown for Google has just been blocked

On one hand, you have to praise Google for its quick reaction at this point. If error had only become known after DemVerkaufsstart and if it had affected all devices, it would have been a GAUfür company that is just trying with all its power to unlock Amazon and Echo loudspeakers.

On or hand, case of DenKritikern and data protection provides new arguments. They have always warned against densmarten loudspeakers with ir constantly active microphones (after all, y always have to recognize when start command is being told). This means not only einenEingriff in privacy of users, but a proverbial time bomb: If first hackers succeed in hacking into system, Diesenicht could only pick up personal data. But also in living, sleeping or kinderzimmer of owners.

Date Of Update: 13 October 2017, 12:04