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Comment and Humans

Smart doorbells may be fun, but we don’t know who is using your face

This changes everything | Training facial recognition algorithms requires masses of data, and big tech companies can go to extreme lengths to get that, says Annalee Newitz

11 December 2019

Nest Hello Smart Doorbell

Nest Hello Smart Doorbell

Ellie Reed/Alamy Stock Photo

I AM one of millions of people around the globe who have a smart doorbell with a hidden camera, controlled through an app. Now I can’t stop watching videos of my porch and the street beyond. I have a Google Nest smart home system, and it sends alerts to my phone that say things like: “Your doorbell camera thinks it has spotted a person.” Who wouldn’t be curious after receiving that? Is the person on my porch a suspicious lurker? Someone delivering a package? An old friend? In my case, the answer…

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