
Google's upcoming Allo messaging app is 'dangerous', Edward Snowden claims - JumpCrisscross
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-allo-unsafe-dangerous-edward-snowden-app-release-date-a7052746.html
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aaroninsf
I would love to think that animated speculation on the breathtaking suite of
abuses an always-listening in-home web appliance invites was one of the first
reaction to Echo and Allo of most HN readers. It certainly was among my
coworkers.

The list of horrors just starts writing itself.

Is that a reason to not pursue the technology?

Normally I'd say 'of course not, but let's keep such possibilities front and
center...'

In this case, my gut instinct is to say 'not in my home!'... not until we have
some frank and detailed consensus on safeguards against abuse.

The words blackmail, gag orders, backdoors, 'anonymized'-that-isn't... they
are all blinking red around me.

~~~
arkem
Google Allo is the chat app, you're thinking of Google Home.

Snowden is saying Allo is dangerous because end-to-end encryption is an opt in
setting and not the default setting. Google set it up this way to provide
Google Now style automated context based annotation to messages. Users can
turn on an "off-the-record" style mode with end to end encryption but it
disables the message annotation.

