Civil rights campaigners have also criticised the fact there is no specific regulation governing how police use the software or manage the data gathered.
Speaking at the launch of new computer technology aimed at helping police fight against online child abuse, Mr Javid said it was right for forces to “be on top of the latest technology”.
“I back the police in looking at technology and trialling it and… different types of facial recognition technology is being trialled especially by the Met at the moment and I think it’s right they look at that,” he said.
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The Information Commissioner has previously raised concerns about the technology, saying forces had to demonstrate that it was effective and less intrusive alternatives were not available.
Mr Javid suggested longer term use of the cameras would require legislation.
“If they want to take it further it’s also right that they come to government, we look at it carefully and we set out through Parliament how that can work,” he said.
Mr Javid’s comments were made as police were given a new set of technological tools to help fight against online child abuse.
According to the Home Office, the three new tools will help speed up investigations and limit the number of indecent images of children officers have to view.
The technology, which cost £1.76m, aims to improve the capability of the Child Abuse Image Database, which holds millions of images.
It can take 24 hours for police to search through a computer hard drive to see if it contains indecent images.
Using new technology, which is being rolled out to police across the UK, the analysis will take 30 minutes.
A system is also being made available to reduce the time investigators have to spend assessing the severity of abuse footage.
Mr Javid described the techniques as “game changing”, saying they would help bring perpetrators to justice and protect victims.
Since it first launched in 2016, GIGABYTE’s AERO line has offered some of the most versatile laptops on the planet. This family of all-rounders combine light and portable designs with long battery life and powerful internals, with specs that are grunty enough to handle the demands of high-end gaming: basically, the perfect trifecta for a mobile PC. It’d be unwise to write the AERO line off as “just gaming machines” however, as they offering a great deal more than most of their gaming-oriented counterparts, packing special features that make them perfect for creative and design professionals.
And the latest generation of AERO 15 OLED laptops takes things even further. Not only does it feature the latest-and-greatest Intel and NVIDIA processing, gaming and networking hardware inside, it’s also available with a professionally-calibrated OLED screen which means it’s got both the best looking and the best performing display on the market – and that should turn the head of any design professional.
Thin, lightweight and quiet, the AERO 15 OLED is a designer’s laptop that you can take with you – and looks great anywhere.
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
New style
The first thing you’ll notice about the new AERO 15 OLED is the re-imagined livery, which now exudes the cool sophistication you’d associate with a stealth jet fighter. It’ll impress in any environment, whether that’s a modern office, corporate boardroom or the local LAN café.
Opening it up presents even more to admire. The full-sized keyboard makes it easy to use, while the customisable RGB backlighting offers some useful – or optionally decorative – effects. Despite the confines of the 15-inch chassis, it sports a full-sized number pad and, helpfully, the often ignored full-sized arrow keys too. There’s even a customisable hotkey that’s optimised for Adobe Creative Cloud. A Windows Hello-compatible fingerprint reader adorns the multi-gesture friendly trackpad, while the HD webcam’s sliding privacy cover provides a final flourish.
And then you turn it on…
With a factory-calibrated 4K Samsung OLED display, the AERO 15 OLED carries the Pantone Certification for colour accuracy.
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
Stunning OLED display
Some TV and smartphone owners will already be familiar with the stunning, infinite-contrast and bedazzling colours that OLED screens are capable of delivering. Far fewer people will have seen them on a laptop. Even then, they’ve typically been reserved for the highest-end variants of product lines, where they’ve represented something of a glamorous luxury. However, the AERO 15’s Samsung 4K AMOLED screen, with its barely-there, 3mm bezel and ultra-high definition 3840 x 2160 resolution, has been individually-calibrated in the factory to achieve X-Rite’s Pantone Certification – a benchmark that’s considerably more impressive than the far more-common ‘Validation’ certificate.
In technical terms, the AERO 15’s OLED display achieves a Delta-E of <1, supports VESA Display HDR 400 and can display 100% of the P3 colour space – so it meets all the key requirements of professional designers.
And even less-demanding workers should appreciate the TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort certification, which reduces blue light emissions and makes working for long-term periods much more comfortable with less eye fatigue. This all combines to make the AERO 15’s OLED display the most brilliant and the most accurate screen on the market, giving you the capacity to do client-ready design work from anywhere you need to.
Built for tough design jobs
Naturally, all of those display specs would count for nought if the AERO 15 OLED’s internal specs couldn’t cope with the ultra-demanding applications that designers rely upon in their day-to-day work. Whether it’s CAD, 3D or VR however, the AERO 15 OLED takes everything in its stride. Under the hood resides an insanely-fast Intel 9th-Generation processor; you can choose between the six-core Core i7-9750H or the top-end, eight-core Core i9 i9-9980HK – a chip that can run comfortably at 5GHz when required. There’s even more flexibility with the graphics hardware, as the AERO 15 OLED is available with NVIDIA’s top-end GeForce RTX 2080 and 2070 GPUs, or alternatively the value-focused GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. These are flanked by a generous and designer-friendly serving of either 16GB or 32GB RAM, plus various capacities of speedy PCIe M.2 hard drives, with capacities ranging from 256GB to a full 1TB.
Those familiar with fully-loaded laptops will know that with great performance comes great responsibility… to remove heat from the chassis. This is an especially-important consideration for designers who frequently operate in quiet environments and can’t tolerate the traditional noise associated with high-performance gaming-laptop cooling. With that in mind, GIGABYTE has completely overhauled the cooling system by introducing Supra Cool 2 heat-dissipation technology. There are now two special 71-blade fans and five heat-pipes to ensure heat is removed as quietly and efficiently as possible. The result is 30% more effective cooling than before – and at less-than 40dBA, even when under a heavy design workload or gaming. And if you actually want to make some noise, the AERO 15 OLED’s Nahimic-supporting stereo speakers are where you must turn!
The AERO 15 OLED’s wide array of connectivity features lets you work with all your essential design peripherals and accessories.
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
Ready to work with your key peripherals
Of course, connectivity is of great importance in design work. A fully-mobile workstation needs to be able to connect to a wide variety of devices – both old and new. And once again, the AERO 15 OLED has you covered here, and can handle a full designer-oriented complement of peripherals all on its own, even if that includes a VR headset, VR controllers and a Wacom graphics tablet all at the same time. This is something that creators who flit between Gravity Sketch VR design, Maya graphics and KeyShot rendering will seriously appreciate.
HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 (via USB-C) are both catered for, along with Thunderbolt 3. There are three USB 3.1 Type-A ports plus a camera-friendly, full-sized SD-card reader that supports fast, UHS-II transfer speeds to get stills and video off as quickly as possible.
The Ethernet port supports Killer LAN’s speed boost technology, while the brand new Wi-Fi 6 connectivity (powered by Intel’s AX1650 chipset) is a god-send to designers, who will now be able to wirelessly-connect to remote assets on their LAN at near wired speeds… reliably! To top everything off, Microsoft’s Azure AI technology has been integrated into the AERO 15 OLED to manage power profile switching. This means the laptop will learn and manage power-saving features based on your real-world usage, switching between Windows 10’s various power profiles automatically to best match your behaviour – and thus saving you the hassle of juggling energy-saving versus performance settings manually.
This helps push the battery life of this powerful machine to up to 8.5 hours – or a full working day. With so much power and so many features, it seems unfathomable that everything can fit into a chassis that’s just 20mm thick and weighs only 2kg!
There are six configurations of AERO 15 OLED available in Australia, so you can choose the perfect one for your specific needs.
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
A laptop that’s tailor-made for designers
The latest Gigabyte AERO 15 with OLED screen is by no means “technology for technology’s sake”. This is a a fully-realised platform tailored specifically to designers’ needs, which effortlessly combines all of the latest high-performance components into one, seamless, portable package that has no bottlenecks or weak points.
Starting from just $2,699, the AERO 15 OLED is available in six different variants with a range of processor speeds and storage capacities so you can find the perfect laptop for your needs. And for total peace of mind, the AERO 15 OLED comes with Gigabyte’s renowned reliability and build quality and is backed by a two-year global warranty.
If you’re searching for a laptop with design in mind, Gigabyte’s AERO 15 OLED is the perfect all-round performer that can do everything you need, no matter where you need it.
(Image credit: Future)
Where to buy
The Gigabyte AERO 15 OLED is available to purchase in Australia through the following retail partners:
It’s time for the reigning Formula 1 champion and season leader Lewis Hamilton to race on his home turf at Silverstone in the British Grand Prix. Will he come unstuck or is this yet more points in the bag for team Mercedes as Ferrari struggles ? The British Grand Prix can be enjoyed from wherever you are in the world using this F1 live stream guide. The great news is that this one is absolutely FREE in the UK!
British Grand Prix 2019 – where and when
Great Britain is the venue for the tenth Grand Prix of the 2019 season, with a track 3.6 miles/5.8 km long that winds its way around the Silverstone Circuit.
The key days and times are below, with all times in local track time:
Practice 1 – Friday July 12 at 10am BST (11am CET, 2am PT, 5am ET).
Practice 2 – Friday July 12 at 2pm BST local time (3pm CET, 6am PT, 9am ET).
Practice 3 – Saturday July 13 at 11am BST local time (12pm CET, 3am PT, 6am ET).
Qualifying – Saturday July 13 at 2pm BST local time (3pm CET, 6am PT, 9am ET).
The British Grand Prix is set to start on Sunday, July 14 at 2.10pm BST local time (so that’s 3.10pm CET, 6.10am PT, 9.10am ET).
The 2019 F1 season has reached England and the Silverstone circuit which has been punishing lazy drivers since 1950. Hamilton compared driving this course to flying a fighter jet – yup, this is a fast one. In fact this is one of the fastest tracks on the F1 calendar. He should know – he’s won here five times before and is going for a record sixth British Grand Prix victory.
Despite being a fast car, Ferrari may struggle as team boss Matia Binotto has said he doesn’t expect this track to suit the car that well. A new aerodynamic modification is being introduced for this race so, of course, anything can happen. With Charles Leclerc racing very well, securing his second place podium spot at Austria, and Sebastian Vettel pushing hard, this could be a good race for Ferrari.
Another factor, that could mean Mercedes doesn’t take yet more points, is the fact that Silverstone has had a new surface laid on it since F1 last visited the UK. That could mean a whole new level of strain for the tyres, especially the lateral load in high-speed corners, all resulting in a lot of uncertainty around this race. So, all in all, that should make for a very exciting weekend.
This could be the race this season’s been waiting for where the points finally get shared among other teams and you get to see it happen, live. You can stream F1 live from anywhere in the world – read on to find out how where you are.
How to watch the British Grand Prix from outside your country
To see how you can stream F1 live from the British Grand Prix in the UK, Australia, the US, Canada and New Zealand, then scroll a little further down this page to see the broadcast options. But if you try and tune in to your native stream from outside your country, you’ll quickly discover that it’s geo-blocked.
That’s where a VPN can come in really handy. It’s a piece of software readily available to download and install that allows you to simulate the IP address on your laptop (or mobile phone, tablet, streaming device, console, etc) so that it appears to be in a completely different country. Ideal, assuming that it doesn’t breach any Ts&Cs from the broadcaster you’re trying to tune in to.
That might sound complicated, by VPNs – or Virtual Private Networks – are actually surprisingly easy to operate. Simply select one of our top three best VPN picks below (or opt straight for our number one favorite ExpressVPN), open it up and pick out your country of choice from the ‘choose location’ menu, and then start watching as if you were sat back at home. Easy!
1. ExpressVPN: the best all-round VPN for streaming, comes with 30-day money back guarantee and 3 months FREE when you sign up for an annual plan
2. NordVPN: one of the most affordable choices for streaming and really effective, too
3. IPVanish: super secure and able to work on a whopping 10 devices, at the same time
How to live stream British Grand Prix in the UK for FREE
This is it…the ONE Grand Prix of the 2019 Formula 1 season that’s free-to-air in the UK. Sky Sports F1 will still air it as normal, but this one will also be free to view on Channel 4. So, aside from TV, you can stream using the Sky Go app or All 4 on various devices including laptops, Apple and Android mobile devices and via your PlayStation or Xbox.
Not in the UK this weekend? Fear not, check out our advice on using a VPN above, and it will let you watch the UK coverage from wherever on Earth you are.
How live stream British Grand Prix 2019 in Australia
The action will be shown on the paid-for services that will be showing the rest of the Formula 1 races this year – Fox Sports and Kayo Sports. The Kayo Sports Basic Package costs $25 per month and allows users to stream across two devices simultaneously. Alternatively, the service also offers a Kayo Sports Premium Package, which provides three concurrent streams for $35 per month.
Their apps mean you can access this from your chosen device wherever you are (although you’ll need a VPN if you’re taking that abroad).
How to watch the British Grand Prix in the US
In the US, ESPN has the rights to show the F1 live (using Sky’s UK coverage). That’s great news if you have cable, but if you’re a cord-cutter you could try a free trial to another streaming service like Sling and Fubo and watch on there.
Out of the US and want to watch the coverage? No worries – just use a VPN and register to a location showing the race.
How to watch a British GP F1 live stream in the Canada
RDS and TSN have the rights to show the Formula 1 north of the border in 2019. Alternatively, you could try services like Sling or Fubo which have free trials and don’t require cable.
For those travelling, you can use a VPN to change your virtual location and still enjoy the race as if you were back in Canada.
How to get an F1 live stream in New Zealand
Just like in the UK, Sky Sports has bagged exclusivity to show all 2019 F1 live streaming. As you’ll no doubt be aware, it doesn’t come cheap. But there are ways of getting some cheap access.
You should be able to get a Fox Sports package via a great offer if you want to enjoy it for less. The Foxtel Now app works with this, so you can live stream to your preferred device – anywhere using a VPN.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 has seen numerous high-profile leaks of late, including photos of the device spotted in the wild, and some incredibly convincing (and rather official-looking) renders which seemingly show the phone and its stylus in all their glory.
As you can see, the image above provides a clear look at the handset, offering a front-facing shot that includes device dimensions and a view of the phone’s centered pinhole selfie camera, which has been teased by the company in the lead up to the Note 10’s launch.
The image also confirms previous rumours about a lack of any buttons along the right edge of the device, though there are physical keys on the left where the volume rocker and Bixby button have traditionally been located – it’s unclear whether the polarizing Bixby key is returning or if it’s been replaced by a left-mounted power button.
The FCC post also reveals that the Galaxy Note 10 will support the new Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard, and while there are plenty of mentions of LTE connectivity in the filing, 5G functionality is surprisingly absent.
Of course, we’ll have to wait until the device’s official launch to get some truly concrete details about what the Galaxy Note 10 is capable of.
The service was created in response to the public outcry following events like the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which raised concerns about the abuse of user data by giant tech companies and the lack of privacy that it entails.
Today, Facebook has announced that it’s further improved the tool, claiming to have increased the amount of transparency offered overall. This includes much more intricate detail on the reason for being targeted, a clearer list of the companies that own and sell your data, and a direct link to a page where you can change your targeting preferences, including the ability to opt out entirely in certain instances.
So… why am I seeing this?
The feature is relatively easy to access. When you notice an ad in your Facebook feed, clicking on the three dots in the top right corner of it allows you to access a “Why am I seeing this?” screen.
Previously, this area would show you one or two reasons for the ad being targeted at you. The reasons given were often rather vague, perhaps pointing out that you’re in an appropriate demographic to be targeted, or that you had visited the website of the product being advertised.
With the update, the list of reasons will reportedly be more specific and complete, offering up particular details, such as the pages that you have liked or interests that you have listed, and how this has influenced the targeting.
This improved page will also show you exactly where this information came from and gives you more direct controls for either hiding ads from this source or adjusting the control this advertiser has.
A brief video courtesy of Facebook demonstrates the updated “Why am I seeing this?” tab.
How do I opt out?
Despite the apparent improvements to the clarity of these options, it’s still a rather labyrinthine process to access the settings, although once you have navigated to the appropriate page, the details on offer are more thorough.
In order to view which marketing companies and data brokers have your information and are selling it to advertisers, head to Settings > Ads > Advertisers and Businesses > “Who have uploaded and shared a list with your info”.
This shows you a list of all the companies with your personal data, from which point you can select ‘View details’ on each one and, for those users that have received the update, open the ‘Privacy options’ tab and opt out.
While the update is now live, it isn’t yet available to everyone. Facebook hasn’t explicitly stated when it will become available to every user, but it’s expected to slowly roll out in full over the coming weeks.
Amazon Prime Day 2019 promises to be the biggest ever, with Prime Day deals starting to trickle out already. As Black Friday grows in power in the online world, so does the possiblity of grabbing a great bargain from Amazon in this July sale.
However, it’s not actually officially begun yet, so you’re probably wondering ‘When is the next Amazon Prime Day?’ Well, the good news for you, Prime Day deal fancier, is that it’s very soon… and some offers have already begun to appear even before the main event.
(Don’t forget, you’ll need to be a Prime member to access the savings – for those that aren’t, there’s a free 30-day trial that you’ll probably want to check out…)
The official Prime Day dates are Monday, July 15 through Tuesday, July 16, with two full days of savings. In terms of those early Amazon discounts, many of its own Echo speakers have been receiving price drops more than a week in advance.
That’s where we come in: we’re keeping a lazer eye on what’s happening at the online retailer, and our Amazon Prime Day deals list is growing rapidly.
So if you’re wondering whether there will be Fibit deals… don’t stop there, my friend. We’re expecting 4K TVs, iPads, laptops and many other wearables on sale, in addition to every nearly Echo speaker Amazon is selling in 2019. Amazon Prime Day is also offering a Whole Foods deal, and we’ll explain that discount, too.
The best Prime Day deal we’ve seen so far is for the Echo Dot at $24.99 (50% off MSRP) if you don’t already own this Alexa-powered smart speaker, or you can get a free Echo Dot if you also buy the Amazon-made Ring video doorbell for $273.99 ($80 off MSRP).
Rare discounts for the Apple iPad and even the company’s AirPods 2 are likely to be the most popular sellers around – and Roomba deals are hotly-tipped to appear as well.
Amazon Prime Day 2019: Fast facts
When is the next Prime Day? On Monday, July 15 at 3am EDT (midnight PDT), but our deals list is live today
When does Prime Day end? Tuesday, July 16 at 3am EDT (midnight PDT). It’s two full days – 48 hours long.
What will be the best Prime Day deals? The biggest discounts on Amazon.com are likely to be Amazon-owned products, especially Echo speakers and the Fire TV
Amazon Prime Day deals: the early list
These are the best Amazon Prime Day deals, according to our deals experts. You’ll find a curated list of what’s on sale and what’s worth buying in advance of the 48-hour Prime Day 2019. We even note the original MSRP to prove it’s a good deal.
Pro tip: Buy early to secure the best price while things are in stock during Prime Day – if the price drops further at any point, you can always make an easy A-to-Z Amazon return (usually before things ship). After all, if you wait, you can’t do the opposite and get something once it’s sold out.
Fitbit Alta HR $129.95 $89 at Amazon Get the Fitbit Alta HR on sale at Amazon for $89. That’s a nice price cut for the ultra-slim fitness tracker that continuously tracks your steps, heart rate, activities, and calories burned. View Deal
Apple iPad 32GB $329 $249 at Amazon Get the latest model iPad on sale for $249 at Amazon. This is the best price we’ve seen for the 9.7-inch tablet that features 32GB of storage and offers 10 hours of battery life. View Deal
Image credit: Shutterstock
Are Amazon Prime Day deals only for Prime members?
Yes. Keep in mind that you must be a member of Amazon Prime to partake in the 48-hour deals event. It’s Amazon’s way of pushing its membership program that costs $119/year.
Prime Day pro tip: If you’re not a member you can sign up for a free 30-day trial today, and that will last you right through the Prime Day sale. It comes with all of the perks too, like two-day free shipping and Amazon Video streaming with access to Amazon Originals.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2019?
Amazon Prime Day starts early next week, on Monday, July 15 right at midnight PDT. Prime Day ends on Tuesday, July 16 at 11:59pm PDT. That means from Sunday night onward, we’ll be up curating the deals list below.
Prime Day pro tip: Keep in mind the official Prime Day start time is based on where the retail company is located: on the West Coast. So, many deals may come online at 3am EDT. You may have to set an alarm, or ask Alexa to set one for you.
(Image credit: Amazon)
$10 Amazon Prime Day Whole Foods deal
Amazon owns Whole Foods, and for the second year in a row, the grocery chain is participating in the Prime Day discount shopping spree. Here are the fine details.
Prime members will earn a $10 credit for Prime Day (actually, it expires the day after Prime Day in case you forget) if they shop at Whole Foods. According to Amazon, all you have to do is scan your Prime Code, use your linked phone number at checkout, or make an order via Prime Now for delivery or pickup between July 3 and July 16.”
Prime Day pro tip: do this now – today through July 16, spend $10 at Whole Foods or on Amazon Prime Now (the latter will be easier for some people not near a Whole Foods), and then spend your $10 credit during Prime Day or the day after (there’s 24-hour a grace period).
(Image credit: Amazon/Shutterstock/NightEye)
What else will be on sale for Amazon Prime Day?
Just look at last year’s biggest sellers. Prime members around the world purchased more than 100 million products during the last Prime Day event. The top-selling items from last year’s Prime Day included a mixture of home goods, electronics, and Amazon devices.
It was the biggest event ever for Amazon devices with the Fire TV Stick and Echo Dot leading the pack of best-selling items worldwide. The top selling products consisted of the 6-Qt Instant Pot, Fire TV stick, Echo Dot, 23andMe DNA Test, and the LifeStraw personal water filter.
Prime Day pro tip: It’s not just about electronics deals on Amazon Prime Day. We’re always surprised at how many 23andMe DNA Test kits and Instant Pots people buy. Make a list of everything your home and life needs – and not only gadgets.
Image credit: Shutterstock
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
What other retailers participate in Prime Day?
Every year more and more retailers are trying to compete with the tech giant by participating in their own version of Prime Day. You’ll find discounts on clothing, tech, home goods and more from a variety of online and local retailers.
Last year Walmart joined in on Prime Day by offering free two-day shipping without membership fees and free same-day pickup on qualifying items. The retailer also discounted a wide array of products that included TVs, Google Home devices, kitchen appliances, laptops and much more – and we’re already seeing a few Walmart deals to rival Prime Day.
Other big retailers like Target, Best Buy, Macy’s and eBay also promoted their own one-day sale with discounts on best-selling items throughout their site.
Prime Day pro tip: We expect this year that more retailers will participate in the July event and will even extend the one-day sale to a weeks worth of discounts, and sure enough, we’ll be providing all of their Prime Day-competing deals on this page.
Amazon Prime 1-day shipping
Amazon just recently announced plans to offer free one-day shipping for Prime members on most orders. Amazon’s CFO Brian Olsavky revealed the ambitious project during Amazon’s first-quarter earnings call. To achieve this, the tech giant says it plan’s to invest $800 million in the second quarter of 2019 and continue its expansion of their fulfillment and logistics network.
Amazon currently offers free 2-day shipping for all Prime members and offers free one-day and same-day delivery on certain items in eligible zip codes. Amazon’s future plans include increasing the locations and available items so free one-day delivery replaces the standard two-day Prime delivery window.
Prime Day pro tip: One-day delivery won’t officially be rolled out in time for Prime Day everywhere in the US, there will be more items available for one-day and same-day delivery in eligible zip codes for the big shopping day.
How much did Amazon Prime Day make?
Amazon was predicted to gross $3.4 billion on Prime Day last year, although we don’t know if that prediction is accurate as Amazon doesn’t release such information.
However, it did announce that third party sellers shifted a billion dollars of product in just one day. As for its own sales, Amazon was content to say that “sales this Prime Day surpassed Cyber Monday, Black Friday and the previous Prime Day, when comparing 36-hour periods, making this once again the biggest shopping event in Amazon history.”
That’s a little sneaky, mind you: as the 2017 sale only ran for 24 hours, not 36.
Prime Day pro tip: Millions of people are expected to descend on the Amazon Prime deals bonanza this year, more so than ever before – so if you know what you’re looking for, get in there quickly.
Amazon Prime Day Alexa-only deals
What better way to convince you that you need an Alexa than by offering Alexa-only deals? That’s what Amazon has been doing during major holiday shopping events, making things a little different when it comes to ordering things.
However, while voice search on speakers is set to become a big thing in the future, it will likely be for more multimedia things, like grabbing films or other quick content, rather than big expensive purchases.
Prime Day pro tip: There may be Alexa-only deals during Amazon Prime Day 2019, but you’re in the dark as to how good the deals are compared to other prices on the internet. For us? Well, we like our curated Prime Day deals list above. Can you blame us?
Belgian broadcaster VRT NWS has today reported that Google hires contractors to listen and transcribe audio recordings of users talking to Google Assistant, either via a smart speaker or their phones.
One such contractor provided the broadcaster with over 1,000 recordings for an investigation into the transcription process. It was found that many of the recordings included identifiable personal details of users, while 153 conversations were seemingly recorded by accident, as the wake command of “OK Google” or “Hey Google” wasn’t used to trigger the digital assistant.
According to the report, Google employs thousands of contractors around the world to transcribe Assistant conversations, although they all use a secure login to access the recordings via the company’s Crowdsource app.
You can watch the original report, with English subtitles, in the video below.
In Google’s defense
Although it’s no secret Google collects user data and stores recorded conversations with Assistant, the company has not previously disclosed the fact that humans also listen to some of these interactions.
After VRT NWS broke the news, Google published a blog post defending the practice, stating that the system is necessary to learn more about user behavior and to improve Assistant’s algorithms and customer experience. Hiring people from around the world means the company’s “speech technology works for a wide variety of languages, accents and dialects”, thus “[enabling] products like the Google Assistant to understand your request, whether you’re speaking English or Hindi”.
According to Google, contractors listen to only 0.2% of all audio clips and none are “associated with user accounts”. Moreover, transcribers are instructed “not to transcribe background conversations or other noises, and only to transcribe snippets that are directed to Google”.
Google also says there are “a number of protections in place to prevent false accepts from occurring”, which is when Assistant is triggered accidentally by “some noise or words in the background”.
A contractor leaking audio clips to a news outlet, Google says, is a violation of its data security policies. The incident is being investigated by the company, and it says action will be taken against the leaker. Google is also reviewing the policies its has in place for its transcribers “to prevent misconduct like this from happening again”.
