Here’s Google’s latest privacy gaffe, the latest in a long, long line where they pretend to not know it’s happening till they’re embarrassed into admitting that it is happening—and then the authorities will fine Google millions of dollars which they will make back in a few hours.
Ibly writes in a post on the fediverse (unfortunately, her instance does not allow embeds):
It’s been going on for months without her knowledge.
She has found others who have experienced this, though note that they have written this on a Google Pixel subreddit and anyone there who criticizes the big G gets voted down (one’s down to –3, and that’s after I bumped them up). Google is a cult.
Have people signed away their voice when they use Google products? Maybe it’s in the T&Cs when you boot your phone for the first time? Yet another reason I’m relieved that I’ve not had a phone with Google on it for eight years.
In summary, Google allegedly takes your voice without your permission and uses it in the outgoing message for their Google Assistant on Android phones. It makes you wonder where else it’s using your voice. As creepy as a massage on Jeffrey Epstein’s island.
Do head over to Bob Hoffman’s new website, Mktg Stinx. It’s kind of a “best of” or “greatest hits” compilation of some of Bob’s writings from his excellent newsletters. Bob stopped writing as often as he did, because week after week, we observe: Google still sucks, ad tech is largely a con, and the jargon of Madison Avenue isn’t worth listening to. (This is roughly why I don’t revisit a lot of branding stuff.)
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