Is Google Nest part of your smart home? It may affect your privacy.

In the age of the internet of things with users wanting to be more connected than ever, concerns arise about the overall privacy and security of smart tech, as high volumes of data are shared with various manufacturers. Google’s newly launched smart home surveillance feature – Google Home Hub – may end up overshadowed by the company’s approach to government requests for user information.

Nest Labs has received more than 300 government requests to release user information, according to a recent transparency report discussed in detail by Forbes. The requests came not only from US federal agents, but foreign governments and judicial courts as well. The report states that Google received 60 data requests in the first half of 2018.

“If a US government agency presented us with a search warrant to investigate a crime they think was captured on a Nest Cam, we wouldn’t just hand over user data,” reads the document. “We’d analyze the request to be sure the warrant wasn’t overly broad, then we’d make sure the information they requested was within the scope of the warrant. We have never received any National Security Letters or orders for user content or non-content information under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).”

Nest doesn’t release data without properly analyzing the request. This was the case when it assisted law enforcement by releasing information from Google Nest surveillance cameras to arrest Amateur rappers FreeBandz Gang involved in a $1.2 million fraud scheme.

It will be interesting to see how Google’s newly launched smart home surveillance feature will be received in light of this information.