Google is recording your voice, even when you’re offline

09:06AM Sun 5 Jun, 2016

NEW DELHI: Next time you say Ok Google to your Android phone, just remember Google is secretly recording your voice commands. Until now, people never really believed that Google actually records their voice commands. But there's concrete evidence now, and that too provided by Google itself.
According to a report by Independent, the search giant introduced a new website in June 2015 that reveals the saved Ok Google results. The audio history website lists almost every Ok Google voice-search, including the ones in the beginning.
Listening to their first Ok Google voice search might bring a smile on the faces of many users. However, it is also a reminder of just how much information Google collects about users. So it's not just what people type on their smartphones, but even what they say that Google keeps a track of.
Google says that it does this to improve its voice-search service. This means that by saving the voice commands, Google learns how a user pronounces words and phrases and how the user sounds..
"Google records your voice and other audio, plus a few seconds before, when you use audio activations like-- saying commands like "Ok Google" or tapping the microphone icon. Your audio is saved to your account only when you're signed in and voice & audio activity is turned on. However, not all apps support saving audio to your account," explains Google.
The audio can be recorded even when there is no internet connectivity. Thankfully, Google allows users to delete their audio recording history. Also, the voice & audio activity can be turned off. Google is apparently trying to be transparent about the information it collects. However, it is time to think about the information that Google is collecting about users and might not be revealing, especially when it can record people even when they offline. TOI Tech