Google's Foray Into Smart Burglar Alarms Could Be More of a Threat to Privacy

One of Google's acquisitions, Nest, are launching burglar alarms that can identify intruders. The central feature of the new Hello doorbell is that its facial recognition technology means it can not only spot intruders, but recognise its owners, allowing it to intelligently watch over properties.

While this may seem like a force for good, there are darker implications. It has been reported that Google may be listening to our conversations already, and automated security systems from other companies have already come under fire for privacy concerns. Similar worries have also emerged with other forms of smart technology.

With eyes on a home or businesses' doorstep, who knows what Nest’s device will be able to record or what private data it will be able to hold. Will this alarm follow in the footsteps of a whole host of recent technology with a dubious regard towards privacy, and if so, what can we do to stay safe?

Automated home security systems may make users susceptible to hacking

Products that are meant to keep us safe could be presenting security risks. For example, in cases where the system’s manufacturers do not set a default username and password to protect the network, and the owner doesn’t set new ones, the system could be remotely controlled by a hacker.

Furthermore, some systems have been proven to be crawlable by search engines and therefore locatable through a simple Google search. Additionally, search engines like Shodan can let users find information about specific types of computers connected to the internet. This also makes home automation devices easy to locate and target.

“Not OK, Google”

The public may have good reason for being fearful rather than curious about investing in products like Nest’s Hello device. Such technology has been dogged by a whole host of privacy problems.

If you have ever used Google’s “OK Google” voice-control system on an Android phone, the page should show a playable list of every vocal command you have ever given it. Whilst it is presumed that this is purely for the purpose of the company improving their language recognition tools, and can easily be deleted, the fact they store such data is nonetheless unnerving.

Nest’s new burglar alarms could raise new security fears. Whilst the threat of hacking is still palpable, the issue of the access corporations have to your data could cause the most concern. This is because, in contrast to other automated security products on the market, the added facial recognition feature by its nature must store information about faces of individuals.

However, because a user of the Nest camera or doorbell must manually tag and name people before the device recognises someone, instead of tapping into Google's database of photos to automatically recognise people, it does appear that the user’s privacy is respected in some ways. This doesn’t mean that problems won’t arise with the intrusive data it holds.

What can we do to protect ourselves?

Home automation systems are clearly here to stay. This means we must learn to protect ourselves from the potential problems they may pose.

For effective home security, simple steps like enlisting the advice of a security professional can be hugely beneficial. Some firms may find smart home security, which can be set up by anyone, to be incompatible with your property. Security experts Banham have advised against this DIY-approach to home security, which often forgoes a formal security survey. They warn that the installation of wireless burglar alarms should never be done by consumers due to their lack of specialist knowledge.

For security-based technology, simply being aware of the risks to privacy and being wary of them can make all of the difference. From a legal perspective, Mike Llewellyn, associate at international law firm Olswang highlights the importance of consumers being aware of the categories of data that are being collected, how they are being used and the extent to which these are necessary. He believes all of this empowers the consumer to make informed decisions about their data.

Installing malware protection on phones and computers can protect devices connected to networks, and changing default passwords and usernames is also effective at protecting against hackers. And when it comes to privacy, consumers also need to think about how much information they feel comfortable sharing, and choose products, services and even configure privacy settings, carefully.