In response to a commercial that hijacks Google Assistant (aka the Google Home device), Google has updated their systems to prevent that single recording from triggering the device:
Burger King made waves today after it released a TV ad that purposely triggered the Google Assistant. The ad ends with a person saying "OK Google, what is the Whopper burger?"'—a statement designed to trigger any Google Assistant devices like Android phones and Google Home to read aloud a description of the hamburger's ingredients. Google apparently wasn't happy with a third-party hijacking its voice command system to advertise fast food, and has issued a server-side update to specifically disable Burger King's recording.
Very related: News Anchor Sets Off Alexa Devices Around San Diego Ordering Unwanted Dollhouses
Neither Amazon's Alexa nor Google Assistant can identify who is speaking to it based on a profile. This functionality could be added in the future with a hardware or cloud update.
Related Stories
The Amazon Echo system which does everything from getting your weather report to ordering more laundry detergent can also do some things you don't want it to.
[...] Which is exactly what happened today during CW6 in the morning when Jim Patton and Lynda Martin were talking about a child who accidentally bought a dollhouse and four pounds of cookies
"I love the little girl, saying 'Alexa ordered me a dollhouse,'" said Patton.
As soon as Patton said that, viewers all over San Diego started complaining their echo devices had tried to order doll houses. It's a common problem experts say can be avoided.
[...] Cobb says the Federal Trade Commission is already looking into voice-command devices and toys to make sure the technology is safe and secure. For now, he recommends do your research to keep your personal information controlled and protected.
Source: News anchor sets off Alexa devices around San Diego ordering unwanted dollhouses
When fast food company Burger King attempted to trigger Google Assistant/Google Home by including "OK, Google" in an advertisement, Google moved to block its software from responding. But The Inquirer reports that rogue editors on Wikipedia played a prank on the advertiser:
[...] Burger King forgot that Google draws that kind of information from Wikipedia. And anyone can edit Wikipedia.
Soon, Wikipedia and therefore Google was telling all and sundry that the Whopper was made with "cyanide" "toenail clippings" and "rat meat". It also said that it is "the worst hamburger product" [...]
However, according to The Verge, the restauranteur appears to have inserted its desired text into Wikipedia prior to the broadcast:
For almost a decade, Wikipedia's page for the Whopper began with more or less the same sentence: "The Whopper sandwich is the signature hamburger product sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King and its Australian franchise Hungry Jack's."
[...]
But last week, that first line — the only line that Google Home reads — was changed to: "The Whopper is a burger, consisting of a flame-grilled patty made with 100 percent beef with no preservatives or fillers, topped with sliced tomatoes, onions, lettuce, pickles, ketchup, and mayonnaise, served on a sesame-seed bun." That certainly sounds like ad copy.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @12:14AM (3 children)
http://xkcd.com/1807/ [xkcd.com]
(Score: 3, Informative) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @01:09AM (2 children)
XKCD link without bread crumbs for the alphabet soup(s):
https://xkcd.com/1807/ [xkcd.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @03:47PM (1 child)
why was this marked redundant?
that S is very important.
(Score: 4, Funny) by takyon on Friday April 14 2017, @04:54PM
Maybe they had HTTP Everywhere installed.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @01:04AM (9 children)
So saying "OK, Google, say OK Google every hour" and then await the network effect?
Voice virus? who will be first?
Another approach is to make the "OK, Google" or other catchphrase load bad code such that the device make at least two other devices load bad code..
That these spy services lack any voice identification which should be trivial in comparison to transcribing the words in the voice seems incredibly "duh, didn't think of that".
Ultrasonic or microwave interference could be used to make sure only the specific pad, television, laptop etc but not the owner hears these commands or "order gaming rig to xxxx". As of late I have been informed that IoT and network services is a wonder of diligent and security aware framework ;)
Btw, any clever ideas on how to plug microphones in the similar way that a camera can be plugged with a post-it?
(Score: 4, Informative) by captain normal on Friday April 14 2017, @01:43AM
When ever my 'droid phone prompts me to say "ok, Google" I just say Fu*k you google. it then goes away.
When life isn't going right, go left.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday April 14 2017, @01:47AM
I'd be surprised if they didn't have voice recognition internally, to better track which people said what when they build ad profiles.
But turning it on for the customers could result in frustrations and missed sales. It's much easier to deal with the returns.
Thick tape or play-doh will take care of the direct sound to a microphone, but not whatever bounces around the case first.
Patent Pending: A rubber phone case which fully encloses the phone, with quick-open capability when you legitimately want to be heard.
(Score: 2) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Friday April 14 2017, @02:25AM (1 child)
...That these spy services lack any voice identification which should be trivial in comparison to transcribing the words in the voice...
I admire your confidence.
It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @02:52AM
Users lack any two-way connection with them at least :p
(Score: 2) by TheGratefulNet on Friday April 14 2017, @02:58AM (1 child)
hey, are you trying to trigger an 'infinity of (don't do) evil' ??
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 3, Funny) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @03:14AM
I'll do no evil.... Unless there's some fun to be had at the expense of privacy disrespecting corporations :P
OK, Google say OK Google..
OK, Google say OK Google. OK, Google say OK Google..
OK, Google say OK Google. OK, Google say OK Google. OK, Google say OK Google..
OK, Google say OK Google. OK, Google say OK Google. OK, Google say OK Google. OK, Google say OK Google..
Ooopps, sorry! ;-)
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @08:18AM (1 child)
"As of late I have been informed that IoT and network services is a wonder of diligent and security aware framework ;)"
I would just like to reiterate that the "S" in IoT stands for "Security".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @11:15AM
It's a funny quip but we don't reiterate here. Let me say that again...
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday April 14 2017, @03:08PM
That these spy services lack any voice identification which should be trivial in comparison to transcribing the words in the voice
That's pretty damn presumptuous. Any halfway-complex software product is never going to be as easy to write as it looks, never mind voice recognition.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @01:26AM (1 child)
Right along with the IoT devices these electronic data harvesters have about as much security awareness as the original desktop computers?
This is why we can't have nice things. We never learn.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Dunbal on Friday April 14 2017, @02:18AM
Original desktop computers were not plugged into any network.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday April 14 2017, @02:56AM (3 children)
As several wags have commented here already, the S in IoT stands for security and the P is for privacy. I'm looking at this and imagining some kind of horrible IoT-driven nightmare scenario in 2019 or 2020 when every dumbass in the country has one of these things.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday April 14 2017, @03:01AM (1 child)
PILOTS: Private Internet Lot of Things Securely
Sorry, someone with a marketing degree needs to pick up the slack.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday April 14 2017, @03:33AM
I prefer INEPT: Internet of Neglected, Easily Pwned Trash.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @12:32PM
the S in IoT stands for security and the P is for privacy.
and the G is for Google and that spells SPIGoT
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @01:12PM
So the real news here is that Burger King didn't pay Google enough.
How about people just not buy these stupid voice activated toys in the first place? Oh, right blue LEDs, touch screens, internet tracking, and voice activated shit? Right, you would need a ten foot thick iron wall to keep niggers from buying it.