[Update: Xiaomi’s Statement] Google Disables Xiaomi’s Nest Integration after User Reports Seeing Strangers’ Images
Jan. 4, 2020[Update on 3 Jan]
Xiaomi has released an official statement regarding the entire kerfuffle around its smart camera and the Nest Hub. The company’s statement reads:
“Xiaomi has always prioritized our users’ privacy and information security. We are aware there was an issue of receiving stills while connecting Mi Home Security Camera Basic 1080p on Google Home hub. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused to our users.
Xiaomi has communicated and fixed this issue with Google, and has also suspended this service until the root cause has been completely solved, to ensure that such issues will not happen again.”
Original content follows
As creepy as cameras can be, smart and connected cameras are a whole other breed. If all the news about Wyze’s server breach, the lawsuit against Ring cameras, and more wasn’t enough to scare you from using smart cameras, this latest one might just do the trick.
According to aReddit postfrom aXiaomi smart camerauser, hisGoogle Nest Hubstarted showing the camera feed and images from a strangers’ camera. The issue was first reported by Android Police, andGooglehas since then disabled Xiaomi’s integration with Nest until the issue is fixed.One of the images being displayed on the Nest Hub
The Mountain View giant released a statement about the inadvertent privacy breach that occurred here, saying,“We’re aware of the issue and are in contact with Xiaomi to work on a fix”. The company’s spokesperson also added,“In the meantime, we’re disabling Xiaomi integrations on our devices.”
The user in question here reportedly recently purchased a Xiaomi Mijia 1080p smart camera for his use, but when he tried to stream video from his camera to his Nest Hub, the device started showing still images from a stranger’s house instead. In an email toThe Verge, the man said that he saw images of an enclosed porch, a sleeping man in a chair, and a sleeping baby.
While it’s unclear exactly how this happened, considering no one was actively trying to access feed from another camera, it’s good to see Google take quick steps towards fixing the issue.
