Have you ever considered the possibility that your phone or smart speaker is listening in? I know I used to think things like that, until I read an article that explained Google is potentially going to be investigated in Ireland, because of a voice data leak. Sounds serious, right? Let me tell you what happened.
But get this -- turns out that some of these recordings were never intended to be shared or heard by anyone. An employee actually shared audio files that contained Dutch voices, and that’s when it fell apart.
So now, the DPC (Data Protection Commission), which is the agency that is responsible for privacy matters in Europe, is investigating. They will be investigating to see if Google did not comply with the privacy laws of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). If Google not comply with the GDPR, the company could face major fines --- up to 4% of the entire global income of the company.
I remember asking my Google speaker to "turn off the lights," and chuckling at myself. Now I wonder: who else just heard that?
This is a huge problem: we trust that these devices are private, but we often do not even realize how they will use our data. When a large company such as Google gets pulled into a situation like this, it compellingly prompts us to reconsider what "privacy" means.
What Happened?
Google has reportedly disclosed that some employees who work for the company have listened to recordings of voice data, that users make within Google Assistant. The company stated that this is so they can improve the speech recognition, that allows the assistant to understand your voice better.But get this -- turns out that some of these recordings were never intended to be shared or heard by anyone. An employee actually shared audio files that contained Dutch voices, and that’s when it fell apart.
So now, the DPC (Data Protection Commission), which is the agency that is responsible for privacy matters in Europe, is investigating. They will be investigating to see if Google did not comply with the privacy laws of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). If Google not comply with the GDPR, the company could face major fines --- up to 4% of the entire global income of the company.
Why It Matters
We all use voice assistants: Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri, they significantly streamline our lives. When you state something personal in your home, though, it is unnerving to think they are listening.I remember asking my Google speaker to "turn off the lights," and chuckling at myself. Now I wonder: who else just heard that?
This is a huge problem: we trust that these devices are private, but we often do not even realize how they will use our data. When a large company such as Google gets pulled into a situation like this, it compellingly prompts us to reconsider what "privacy" means.
What We Know
- A couple of quick points:
- Google indicates only about 0.2% of voice clips were reviewed by people
- The recordings were not associated with the users' names or their accounts
- Nevertheless, some files should never have been transcribed or shared
- The Irish privacy office is already investigating several large tech companies, so Google is not the only one being scrutinized.
What It Means For You And Me
If the Irish regulator concludes that Google has done something wrong, it could be consequential:- Google could be fined or have to change practices regarding how voice data is handled.
- Other companies could also be required to be more transparent about what they collect.
- We, as users, could be given better privacy controls or more explicit ability to manage what is kept.
