Nest Max
Summary
The Nest Max is a home hub that comes with a microphone, camera, and touchscreen display. It can be used for video calls, monitoring your Nest doorbell, listening to music, and more. The hub can be purchased for $229.
Breach History
Has there ever been a breach or data leak?
Date of last breach
October 2018
A Google+ software update that occurred in November 2018 which contained a bug affecting the Google+ API. This led to approximately 52.5 million Google users having their data breached, however, Google claimed that this information was only available to third party app developers for only six days and was not misused in any way.
Privacy Checklist
Is any kind of biometric data collected (health, heart, voice, etc.)?
Are you able to delete your data / the data collected about you?
Does it use cookies, telemetry, or third-party tracking scripts?
Is the privacy policy user-friendly (easy to understand)?
Does it have parental controls?
Does it use encryption to protect your data both in-transit and at-rest?
Does it get regular software and / or firmware updates?
Does it require you to create a strong password?
Is there a system in place for managing security vulnerabilities?
Does it have a privacy policy?
How Can It Snoop?
Does it have a camera or request / require access to a camera?
Does it have a microphone or request / require access to a microphone?
Does it track your location or request / require access to location data?
Account Requirements
Does it require an email address to use?
Does it require a phone number to use?
Does it require an address (home or office) to use?
Payment Options
Are you able to use a credit card as a payment option?
Are you able to use a cryptocurrency as a payment option?
Are you able to use PayPal as a payment option?
Are you able to use cash or gift cards as a payment option?
What Could Go Wrong?
Google claims that new features that use audio and video is only sent to them when they are turned on. However, this device does have a microphone and a camera, so it's possible this could be used to spy on you even when it's supposed to be off. Be aware of this risk before purchasing this product.
How Does It Share Your Data?
Nest users are required to have a Google account, which means that Google may target you with ads based on your search history, location, websites and apps you have used, etc. However, Google claims that personal data is never sold to third parties.
Good Things
- Good sound quality.
- Good camera.
Bad Things
- Privacy concerns.
- Camera can't be covered.
- Does not integrate well with other third-party smart devices.
Final Thoughts
By using Nest products, Google obtains information such as your search history, location, websites and apps you have used, videos and ads you have seen, and more, which allows them to target you with personalized ads. Google also suffered a major data breach in 2018, which exposed the information of about 52.5 million users. Therefore, Google should not be wholeheartedly trusted to protect your personal information.