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https://thenextweb.com/business/2019/05/13/google-forces-nest-users-to-use-google-accounts-raising-privacy-concerns/

Google forces Nest users to use Google accounts, raising privacy concerns
by Ravie Lakshmanan

At its annual Google I/O developers conference last week, the search giant announced a broader restructuring of its smart home lineup that was long coming. Gone is the Google Home brand, as is the standalone Nest, which it acquired in 2014. In its place is the new Google Nest.

But in a surprise development, Google has also announced that it will be entirely doing away with Nest accounts for new users, in addition to urging existing users to migrate to a unified Google account for a better “seamless” experience.

“We strongly recommend account migration to Google for all of our users. Having a single account will also enable Nest and Google Home devices and services to work more seamlessly together – for example, if you have a Nest thermostat and a Google Home, just say, ‘Hey Google, make it warmer’ to turn up the heat without any additional setup,” Google notes in a new FAQ it has put up on the Nest website.

But by getting rid of the privacy barrier between Google and Nest, the move has significant implications for user privacy.