So, I guess my quip about Facebook's plan to take over the living room has gotten a lot of traction.
I should do a #securityHygiene post about it.
The reasons are quite simple. Facebook has a poor track record on privacy - and they can't improve it since their business model is antithetical to privacy.
But with these cameras, not only are they invading your privacy, but the privacy of everybody who comes into your house.
1/2
@0x56 Man, I really, really want a Google Home, which is also terrible. People are always like "we never talk about anything important or bad, why does it matter if they are listening in?"
and I always respond with, "So, imagine some random person was standing in your living room holding a tape recorder to everything you said. Would you be OK with that?"
Say nothing of threat actors who might get their hands on the data
@serrenity - TBH, I haven't researched the google home at all, but I can make some assumptions, and yeah, you're right. It may not technically record everything you say, but it's always listening for you to say something to wake it up, and it's too easy to accidentally wake it up and start recording you.
@0x56 @serrenity
You can set it up so that it will always "blip" when it hears the wake-up. I have mine setup for continuation, but you don't have to. I think you can also set it up to blip at the end of listening as well
I've checked the logs, and the only thing in there real questions asked... Or things it didn't understand
But the TV does make it blip on from time to time, when it hears a Google commercial, or something that is close enough
It's just so nice wrt general questions and music.
@serrenity @0x56
I'd go so far as recommending the Max, if you really like pretty good sound for general listening... But the basic tall Home is quite good as well... The youngest son says that even the mini sounds good when he uses it to listen to music...
But there are just so many uses when it's just there all the time...
Much easier than picking up the phone...
And yes, I know that Google knows too much about me... But I'll be dead soon enough, and it won't matter to me... 😉
If a Facebook camera sees a door to door salesman, it then could start trying to connect you - pair you up as friends or friends of friends.
Plus, there's the whole minor thing. There are so many laws protecting the security of children, but FBs algorithms won't be smart enough to *not* filter children out, especially when it comes to local law variations.
So please, don't buy one, and please convince your friends not to buy one as well.
(and Echo's are only slightly better)