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Say10sadvocate t1_j24vb3q wrote

The Google one at least has a mic switch.

We keep ours off unless we're actively using it. 🤷🏽‍♂️

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beebog t1_j24vn4i wrote

if you trust the mic switch!

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MrTonyBoloney t1_j2703qp wrote

Google Home Mini mic switch physically unplugs the microphone from power

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aykay55 t1_j272oja wrote

You have a source for this?

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aykay55 t1_j2751m3 wrote

Thank you. I know well enough that it isn't listening 24/7, but I hadn't ever heard someone claim that the Google Home Mini physically cuts off access to the microphones when the switch is turned on. I'm happy to see Google built in this level of privacy to their device. Tbh, I was never really scared of smart speakers, I'm more suspicious of smart TVs that come with Alexa or Google Assistant support. Some of these TVs are already sold at a loss, and they don't have any physical shut-off switch for the microphones. And unplugging the TV is a physical chore that no one would bother doing. TVs continue to open their operating systems to third parties and some even offer access to the Play Store. And people don't usually prioritize updating their TVs to the latest software. So, that's a much bigger security hole for anyone that is concerned about being spied on than any smart speaker.

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MrTonyBoloney t1_j275b05 wrote

Agreed, when the attack vector is less obvious it gets less attention from both engineers and the public

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chargers949 t1_j24y6in wrote

If switch == off then disable light but keep mic on.

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beebog t1_j24yukf wrote

exactly! i don’t trust it for one second

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rand0mtaskk t1_j2601a5 wrote

Imagine living life this paranoid.

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boofskootinboogie t1_j26c2ys wrote

These people all own smartphones right?

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TheCoolestCannon t1_j26dglm wrote

This 😂

My father-in-law scolded me for having smart speakers because people could be listening all the while he has an android phone in his pocket

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henn64 t1_j2dxvev wrote

Nice try, but the switch makes a hardware disconnection, not a software disconnect

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Say10sadvocate t1_j253sub wrote

If they're putting a fake mic switch in, they deserve to hear the stupid shit we talk about lol.

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The_Troyminator t1_j25p22h wrote

So does the Echo Show and Echo Dot. I'm not sure about the other devices.

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AlmightyThorian t1_j2937xa wrote

Never gotten the "The microphone is turned off"-voice direction from the google nest when trying to give it commands in that mode? Yeah. It's totally not listening when the switch is flipped.

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