Google nixes ability to turn off status light on active Nest cameras

Change comes amid recent privacy concerns

Life

Nest indoor Cam (Image: Nest)

Wondering why the Nest security camera’s indicator light will not switch off? It is not a bug.

Google has begun notifying Nest users that, following an impending update, Nest Cam, Dropcam, and Hello devices will no longer be able to turn off their status lights while recording, although users will be able to dim them.

The news comes in the wake of a lengthy new privacy statement from Google that, among other things, promises: “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).”

In a message posted to the Google Nest Help forum, a Google staffer wrote that removing the ability to turn off Nest camera status lights “reflect[s] our commitment to respecting the privacy of you and the people in your home.”

Losing the ability to switch off the status light on Nest cameras may frustrate users who want to monitor their homes secretly, but it also comes at a time of renewed focus on privacy.

Those privacy concerns were sparked by recent revelations of used Nest cameras that let their former owners peek at the people to whom they had sold their devices (a privacy breach that is since been fixed), as well as the news that third parties were reviewing voice recordings from the likes of Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant.

In the same message posted on the Google Nest Help forum, the Google staffer detailed how the status light will now function on various Nest camera devices: “In settings for all Nest Cameras and Nest Hello, now you can dim the light status. When the camera is on, the status light will glow green, the light’s low enough to still be used in any room, even for Nest Cam IQs used in a nursery.

“For Dropcam, when the camera is on, the status light will glow blue. On Nest Cam, Dropcam, and Nest Hello, the status light will blink when the camera is live video is streamed from the Nest app.”

IDG News Service

Read More: Google home security Nest privacy surveillance