Google has reportedly fixed a bug which allowed former owners of used Nest Cam Indoor security system access to security video feeds, despite performing a factory reset of the device.
The issue was a major breach of privacy, which Google said was the reason for its decision to discontinue the Works with Nest program.
By stopping the program, Google wanted to limit the access of third-party devices to the data that was captured by Nest programs.
This is the second major privacy scandal suffered by Google’s Nest division this year.
Back in February, it emerged that the Nest Secure home security system included an on-device microphone, which the company had failed to disclose when it was originally released.
The alarming discovery was first reported by Wirecutter after a post by a member of the Facebook Wink Users Group.
The member revealed that he was still able to access images from his old Nest camera, which was already with its new owner.
As its original owner, he connected the camera to his Wink smart home hub, and for some reason, the device maintained the connection even after a factory reset.
“We were recently made aware of an issue affecting some Nest cameras connected to third-party partner services via Works with Nest,” a Google representative told Wirecutter.
“We’ve since rolled out a fix for this issue that will update automatically.”
Wirecutter said it confirmed Google’s fix by retesting the problem using a Nest Indoor Cam and a Wink Hub, though still advised customers to be very cautious when purchasing or selling smart home items.
