Google just broke web browsing on a bunch of smart displays
Beginning this year, Google elected to switch SafeSearch on by default for second-gen Nest Hubs and the Nest Hub Max. Anything that isn’t a Google-made device can’t easily access the web for simple browsing — a basic and somewhat limited experience on many smart displays in the first place.
In January, Google switched off web browsing on digital devices likeLenovo’s Smart Displayand JBL’s Link View. Users instead saw a “Can’t be shown” screen linking to theGoogle Assistant Help Centerand informing them “Websites are turned off for this device.” 9to5Google noted that the company explained the move Thursday ina poston its Help Center Community page. It was all about protecting the unwary frominappropriate web content. The company wants to ensure that no one can accidentally or intentionally see anything inappropriate on (for example) a kitchen display — something that would likely make for an awkward dinner conversation.
SafeSearch limitations on these smart displays are built into the hardware, not the software. Since Google has no control over what Lenovo or JBL chooses to do with the units those companies make, it introduced measures that would work with its own hardware.
With SafeSearch automatically engaged, Google also now effectively tattles on whoever is attempting to visit a certain link by sending it to the device account owner’s phone — the second line of defense to avoid unintended exposure. It seems like an overreach on the company’s part, making such decisions on the user’s behalf, and it further limits the device’s usefulness.
However, given something like Google’sloss to Sonosin a long-time dispute over patent infringement issues, it’s likely that the company is working hard to limit liabilities wherever it finds them.
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