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Google has confirmed that audit snippets are sent to humans to listen to which includes background noises following an investigation about Dutch audio data that had been leaked.
Google said this work helps with developing voice recognition and other technology in its Google Assistant artificial intelligence system, which is used in its Google Home smart speakers and Android smartphones.
[...] Approximately 0.2 per cent of all audio snippets are reviewed by "language experts". Google's response to the leak of private user data is to review their safeguards to prevent future misconduct.
We just learned that one of these reviewers has violated our data security policies by leaking confidential Dutch audio data. [...]
Belgium's VRT NWS also report: Google employees are eavesdropping, even in your living room, VRT NWS has discovered.
Google employees are systematically listening to audio files recorded by Google Home smart speakers and the Google Assistant smartphone app. Throughout the world – so also in Belgium and the Netherlands – people at Google listen to these audio files to improve Google's search engine. VRT NWS was able to listen to more than a thousand recordings. Most of these recordings were made consciously, but Google also listens to conversations that should never have been recorded, some of which contain sensitive information.
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Monday July 22 2019, @08:30AM (2 children)
That's the responsibility of the device owner. Should microphone manufacturers be liable if someone uses a purchased microphone to record voices illegally? The owner is responsible for informing any affected parties of the recording device. It's the same with security cameras in many places.
The owner of the device (should have) read the ToS and thus has given consent by using the device after purchase instead of returning the product and requesting a refund.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 2) by Coward, Anonymous on Monday July 22 2019, @03:48PM
And what if the device malfunctions and triggers, even though nobody said the keyword? If a law is violated due to a device's design flaw, the manufacturer will be on the hook.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 22 2019, @05:23PM
A microphone doesn't record. The recording equipment it is connected to records. If you set up recording equipment to illegally record something, you are of course liable. The microphone supplier did nothing of that kind.