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Yesterday, news broke that Google has been stealth downloading audio listeners onto every computer that runs Chrome, and transmits audio data back to Go

Yesterday, news broke that Google has been stealth downloading audio listeners onto every computer that runs Chrome, and transmits audio data back to Google. Effectively, this means that Google had taken itself the right to listen to every conversation in every room that runs Chrome somewhere, without any kind of consent from the people eavesdropped on. In official statements, Google shrugged off the practice with what amounts to “we can do that”. Source: Google Chrome Listening In To Your Room Shows The Importance Of Privacy Defense In Depth https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2015/06/google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth/ https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2015/06/google-ch...

allenz 8y ago
"Listening in" is inaccurate. "Ok Google" was opt-in only, and did not record users without consent. Chromium downloaded but didn't run the binary blob. Previous discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9724409 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9724409 including Google's perspective: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9735795 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9735795
- bordercases 8y ago
  Why download it in the first place?
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - CydeWeys 8y ago
    A mistaken include in a build file, most likely. I've removed all sorts of dumb stuff slowing down the build that was included by accident or unnecessarily on my project at work. Never attribute to malice ...
    - craftyguy 8y ago
      > A mistaken include in a build file, most likely. Yea, "whoops we accidentally downloaded a surveillance device on your system!"... If that sort of negligence can happen, what else is the browser currently doing, or capable of doing in the future, "accidentally"?
      - allenz 8y ago
        It was an intentional download so that Chromium users could use "Ok Google".
        craftyguy 8y ago
        Even worse, though the comments I was replying to seem to indicate that you are wrong?
        allenz 8y ago
        craftyguy was just speculating. "Chromium does download hotword-x86-64.nexe on startup, but it has been carefully designed as an opt-in feature" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9735795 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9735795
      - horsawlarway 8y ago
        Not to make light of the point you're making, but by far and large customers actively want this. There's a large market opportunity right now for voice controlled systems. Controlling those systems with your voice means they have to be able to listen to you. Full stop. While I think it's going to take a long time before we truly understand the repercussions of those systems (and I want to be clear, I say that not as an omen of fear and doom, but as a literal statement: We don't understand exactly what level of monitoring we're ok with or is appropriate as a society) I think complaining that google is acting in a solely nefarious way by attempting to incorporate voice control into the browser is disingenuous. Windows (the literal glass ones) also allow people to see into your home. They let any random stranger on the street walk right up and view the things you own, as well as yourself and your family. But by far and large we've decided we like windows enough that the privacy loss is worth it.
ourcat 8y ago
I always have my sound input/mic levels set to zero in settings. They can't bypass that.
- JoshMnem 8y ago
  I think they could do that if they wanted, if you're entering your root password during the install.

allenz 8y ago

"Listening in" is inaccurate. "Ok Google" was opt-in only, and did not record users without consent. Chromium downloaded but didn't run the binary blob. Previous discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9724409 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9724409 including Google's perspective: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9735795 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9735795

bordercases 8y ago
Why download it in the first place?
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- CydeWeys 8y ago
  A mistaken include in a build file, most likely. I've removed all sorts of dumb stuff slowing down the build that was included by accident or unnecessarily on my project at work. Never attribute to malice ...
  - craftyguy 8y ago
    > A mistaken include in a build file, most likely. Yea, "whoops we accidentally downloaded a surveillance device on your system!"... If that sort of negligence can happen, what else is the browser currently doing, or capable of doing in the future, "accidentally"?
    - allenz 8y ago
      It was an intentional download so that Chromium users could use "Ok Google".
      - craftyguy 8y ago
        Even worse, though the comments I was replying to seem to indicate that you are wrong?
        allenz 8y ago
        craftyguy was just speculating. "Chromium does download hotword-x86-64.nexe on startup, but it has been carefully designed as an opt-in feature" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9735795 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9735795
    - horsawlarway 8y ago
      Not to make light of the point you're making, but by far and large customers actively want this. There's a large market opportunity right now for voice controlled systems. Controlling those systems with your voice means they have to be able to listen to you. Full stop. While I think it's going to take a long time before we truly understand the repercussions of those systems (and I want to be clear, I say that not as an omen of fear and doom, but as a literal statement: We don't understand exactly what level of monitoring we're ok with or is appropriate as a society) I think complaining that google is acting in a solely nefarious way by attempting to incorporate voice control into the browser is disingenuous. Windows (the literal glass ones) also allow people to see into your home. They let any random stranger on the street walk right up and view the things you own, as well as yourself and your family. But by far and large we've decided we like windows enough that the privacy loss is worth it.

ourcat 8y ago

I always have my sound input/mic levels set to zero in settings. They can't bypass that.

JoshMnem 8y ago
I think they could do that if they wanted, if you're entering your root password during the install.