Google Still Mining Data From Discontinued Nest Thermostats

Your old Nest just got a whole lot less smart – and a whole lot more creepy. Google’s decision to brick the smart features of its first and second-generation Nest Learning Thermostats was already a blow, turning premium devices into glorified dumb dials. But here’s the kicker: even with remote control and support gone, these neutered Nests are still phoning home. Reports reveal a constant stream of detailed data flowing back to Google’s servers, raising serious questions about what exactly they’re collecting and why. So, while your thermostat might not be learning your preferences anymore, Google certainly is.

Google collecting data from discontinued Nest Thermostats despite ending support

A digital ghost in the machine: that’s what security researcher Cody Kociemba unearthed during a FULU-sponsored right-to-repair challenge. He wasn’t just reviving abandoned Nest thermostats; he was inadvertently waking the dead. As Kociemba reverse-engineered Google’s API to craft his open-source resurrection tool, a flood of ghostly data began pouring in logs, whispers from countless customer devices, a chilling testament to the smart home devices left to fade away.

Kociemba discovered a digital back door: Google may have disabled remote control on these devices, but they left the log-upload feature wide open.

A one-way street of information

Imagine Google peering into your home, not just through your search bar, but via your thermostat. Even "unsupported" devices are whispering secrets: the room’s shivers and sweats, the sun’s daily kiss through the window, the phantom movements in the dead of night. Each degree dialed, each sunbeam caught, each empty room is dutifully recorded, painting an intimate portrait of your unseen life.

The security researcher pointed to a chilling reality: the data stream is now a one-way mirror. Google is still peering into our homes, receiving diagnostic logs from devices they’ve officially abandoned. Remember the end-of-support announcement? A promise of continued logging "for issue diagnostics." But diagnostics for whom? These devices are digital ghosts, cut off from updates and support. So, why is Google still listening? It’s a data echo in an empty room.

Your smart home just got a little less smart. As the first wave of connected gadgets hits its expiration date, a chilling question emerges: what happens when your "smart" devices become obsolete, yet continue to feed data back to the mothership? The recent Nest thermostat debacle hints at a disturbing answer: some companies might value your data more than your device’s functionality, prioritizing a constant stream of information long after they’ve abandoned customer service. In the age of AI, your usage patterns are pure gold, even if your thermostat is turning into a digital paperweight.

Kociemba’s triumph – resurrecting defunct smart thermostat functionality and claiming the FULU bounty – took an unexpected turn. He ultimately pulled the plug on the data logs from his custom software. But his victory unearthed a chilling truth: even when a tech giant abandons its smart home devices, consumer privacy remains a fragile illusion. Are we truly in control, or are we just leasing our digital lives?

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