Google Blocks Xiaomi Integrations Over Privacy Concerns

Google last week disabled all Xiaomi integrations on Nest Hub after learning that some users could access other people’s camera feeds. 

The issue was initially reported on January 1, 2020, when a user posted on Reddit, revealing that their Nest Hub was able to access feeds from other people’s Xiaomi cameras. The user also posted screenshots to prove the discovery. 

Although the Mi Home Security Camera Basic 1080p was found at fault, Google decided to disable all Xiaomi integrations on its devices. As it turned out, only the Mi Home Security Camera Basic 1080p was found to be at fault.

“We’ve been working with Xiaomi and we’re comfortable that the issue was limited to their camera technology platform,” a Google employee posted in a thread on the company’s support website. 

After a thorough investigation, Google decided to re-enable Xiaomi device integrations, but left camera streaming disabled. 

“We will not reinstate camera functionality for Xiaomi devices until we are confident that the issue has been fully resolved. We’ll keep you updated with information as more becomes available to share,” Google said. 

The issue was apparently caused by a cache update on December 26, 2019, and only occurred in specific conditions. Around 1000 users are believed to have been affected by the bug. 

Although Google has re-enabled Xiaomi integration on Nest Hub, many users are still complaining of failed attempts to reconnect their devices, comments on Google’s support website reveal. 

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