Government and public statistics
Automatische Sprachassistenzsysteme - Klare Schritte zur Umsetzung datenschutzrechtlicher Vorgaben durch Google sowie andere Anbieter gefordert (press release, 26 August 2019)
Der Hamburgische Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit (HmbBfDI), 2019
Read the originalRead on October 19, 2026
- What it is
- The Hamburg data protection commissioner's press release of 26 August 2019, which followed media reports on human transcription of Google Assistant recordings and Google's announcement that it would stop the practice for at least three months. It sets out the conditions the commissioner told Google must be met before human review resumes, including opt-in consent for storing audio.
- How much weight it carries
- The authority's own press release, in German, so the quote is the original German wording. It states the authority's legal position rather than a final decision, and the release does not give the outcome of the administrative proceeding or say whether Google's pause was made binding.
Facts taken from this source
- In its 26 August 2019 press release, the Hamburg data protection authority said that having contractors or staff review audio excerpts from voice assistants to improve them, without additional informed consent, violates users' data protection rights.
“Die Auswertung von Audioausschnitten durch Auftragnehmer oder Mitarbeiter zur Verbesserung von Sprachassistenzsystemen ohne eine zusätzliche informierte Zustimmung zu dieser Praxis verletzt die Datenschutzrechte und -freiheiten der Nutzer.” (Press release of 26 August 2019, first page)