The “Google Nest” brand was launched at I / O 2019 along with a new customer privacy commitment. Google today announced it is removing the capacity of Nest cameras, Nest Hello, and Dropcam to disable status lights.
Google’s “Privacy Commitment” promised a “clear visual indicator when your Nest cameras are on and send video and audio to Nest” back in May. This was on display with the Nest Hub Max, but Google is now applying this strategy to its safety products. This afternoon, the company emailed current owners about the choice, with these modifications beginning today.
When your camera is turned on and sending video footage to Google, we will provide a clear visual indicator (such as a green light on your device).
When the camera is active, all Nest Cams, Nest Hello, and Dropcam systems will get their status light on. This is to “make sure that when the camera is on and recording you and those around your camera are aware.”
All cameras and doorbells had the capacity to disable the status light in the past. This soon-to-be deprecated preference has been declared as enabling owners to make a camera “less noticeable, or if the nighttime status light is too bright.”
New Nest cameras and Nest Hellos can dim the green visual indicator only now. If the Nest app streams live video, the light will blink. The light is blue on older Dropcams, with those units lacking this capacity to dim.
From a privacy point of view, this is nice, but many current owners are angry about this change to the camera light from Google Nest. They[ 1, 2] ask if, when the camera is active, this will make prospective burglars aware.
Just received an email about the new policy on always having the status light on. This is a TERRIBLE idea. All that does is make my cameras an easy mark for an observant thief, and basically renders them useless as a covert security tool.
This is an absurd update and an invasion of my rights as a consumer. Google is directly attempting to change the way the product I have bought – and how it was advertised at the time – functions. The camera’s ability to turn off its status light was a feature which Google is now retroactively removing.
