Privacy group urges feds to force Google to dump Nest - WND

Privacy group urges feds to force Google to dump Nest - WND:

A privacy group that had opposed Google’s acquisition of Nest is urging the Federal Trade Commission to force Google to divest of the company after hidden microphones were discovered in Nest’s home security and alarm system.
Business Insider reported consumers had not been informed of the microphones in Nest Secure, which linked to the Google “Assistant” artificial intelligence-powered device.
Google, in a statement, acknowledged the “error” and said “the on-device microphone was never intended to be a secret and should have been listed in the tech specs.”
Nest Guard is the alarm, keypad and motion-sensor component of the Nest Secure system offering.
Google claimed the microphone “was originally included in the Nest Guard for the possibility of adding new security features down the line, like the ability to detect broken glass.”
“Still, even if Google included the microphone in its Nest Guard device for future updates – like its Assistant integration – the news comes as consumers have grown increasingly wary of major tech companies and their commitment to consumer privacy,” the report said.
It’s not the first time Google has confessed to a major privacy invasion.