Yesterday rumors were circling that Google’s Nest was planning to put ads on the companies thermostats however, the CEO has denied this.
Nest, a smart thermostat designed for the home was purchased by Google last year and since then, there has been much speculation over how the tech giant plans to use the data.
One of the theories was that Google would use the thermostats to post ads however, Tony Fadell, CEO of Nest has denied this.
“Nest is being run independently from the rest of Google, with a separate management team, brand and culture. … For example, Nest has a paid-for business model, while Google has generally had an ads-supported business model. We have nothing against ads — after all Nest does lots of advertising. We just don’t think ads are right for the Nest user experience,” stated Fadell.
While some ad supported appliances have already made it onto consumer shelves, it seems unlikely that Google will start putting ads on your thermostat.
One way in which sources have claimed that Google will use thermostat is to collect data such as when you leave home or arrive back home which they can determine with fair accuracy based on when your thermostat kicks on or off.
By learning your habits, Google can market to you better because at the end of the day, it all comes down to advertising revenue.