Another disheartening news for privacy preachers. A media report recently claimed that Google’s Allo can reveal your search history to friends and those you message—and that too without any definite warning.
Google Allo is one smart messaging app that helps you Express yourself better with stickers, doodles, and HUGE emoji & text. You can easily find restaurants nearby, share videos to watch, and get answers, right in your conversation with friends. It’s your own personal Google, always ready to help. The messaging app is loved by millions of users worldwide and this news might surely break a few hearts.
According to a Re/code report rolled late on Tuesday evening, Allo is found capable of sharing past Google searches with the contacts, without being prompted to. Allo has recently been criticized by privacy advocates because it does not offer end-to-end encryption to users, as WhatsApp does.
However, it is described as a technical glitch, the report claimed that this Allo’s behaviour could have big privacy implications. The discovery was made by Re/code’s Tess Townsend who was using Allo to chat to a friend.
“In the middle of our conversation, my friend directed Assistant to identify itself. Instead of offering a name or a pithy retort, it responded with a link from Harry Potter fan website Pottermore. The link led to an extract from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth book in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series,” he wrote.
“But the response was not merely a non sequitur. It was a result related to previous searches my friend said he had done a few days earlier, Townsend further wrote.
In a response, Google said, “We were notified about the Assistant in group chats not working as intended. We’ve fixed the issue and appreciate the report.”
Beware of what you search pals. You never know how when your search history might be revealed to your friends. A small heads-up to save yourself from big time embarrassment.
Stay secure!