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Used Google Nest cameras connected to the Wink hub are spying on users [u]

The Google Nest Indoor Cam (Photo: Google)

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Second-hand Google Nest Cam Indoor models can send images of your home to the Wink hub of the camera's previous owner, but Google has announced a fix.

If you've ever wondered who buys your secondhand gear on eBay, sell them your Google Nest Cam Indoor and find out. Even if you follow Nest's instructions on how to reset the camera and remove it from your account and Wink hub, you may get images sent from the camera in its new home.

"We were recently made aware of an issue affecting some Nest cameras connected to third-party partner services via Works with Nest," a Google spokesperson told AppleInsider. "We've since rolled out a fix for this issue that will update automatically, so if you own a Nest camera, there's no need to take any action."

According to The Wirecutter, the problem concerns using the Nest camera with a Wink hub and account.

A member of the Facebook Wink Users Group discovered that after selling his Nest cam, he was still able to access images from his old camera— except it wasn't a feed of his property. Instead, he was tapping into the feed of the new owner, via his Wink account. As the original owner, he had connected the Nest Cam to his Wink smart-home hub, and somehow, even after he reset it, the connection continued.

The Wirecutter independently confirmed the issue, though rather than a video stream, they got a series of still images.

Wink is a smarthome hub that's been on sale for many years and used for a range of devices from cameras to air conditioning.

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This discovery comes shortly after Google announced the end of its "Works with Nest" progam specifically to improve security and customer privacy.

"Our goal is simple: earn and keep your trust by clearly explaining how our products work and how we'll uphold our commitment to respect your privacy," wrote Rishi Chandra, vice president of product at Nest, in a blog post.

Update June 20, 8:57 A.M. Eastern time: Google has told AppleInsider that it is rolling out a fix.



25 Comments

ihatescreennames 20 Years · 1980 comments

People were freaking out about the Group FaceTime bug and it was plastered all over the news. Let’s see what the reaction to this is, which seems like it could be much worse and more privacy invading. 

8 Likes · 0 Dislikes
TomE 9 Years · 174 comments

Made in China ?

1 Like · 0 Dislikes
tulkas 24 Years · 3722 comments

People were freaking out about the Group FaceTime bug and it was plastered all over the news. Let’s see what the reaction to this is, which seems like it could be much worse and more privacy invading. 

This is way worse in that you have no idea strangers are watching you while with the FaceTime bug at least your phone rang. Also, with the FT bug, even if someone did use it, chances are very slim that your phone would be positioned to be watching you are anything of interest, with chances being high that if you weren't actively using the phone (and therefore aware FT was running) then it would be in your pocket or purse or sitting on a desk viewing the ceiling or desktop. On the other hand, the cameras would be intentionally focusing on a view of you and your home.

This won't make news. Every single google product and service is designed as spyware and to put users under surveillance. People have either accepted that they are always being spied on with google or their cognitive dissonance doesn't allow them to acknowledge it. Either way, it becomes a non story.

7 Likes · 0 Dislikes
tulkas 24 Years · 3722 comments

TomE said:
Made in China ?

But designed in Mountain View. Hence the spying.

5 Likes · 0 Dislikes