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If you use Google smart home products like the Nest Mini or Cam, you might want to check your privacy settings.
That's because Google hands over recordings and data from inside users' homes to police when sent a legal request.
According to Mitchell Clark of The Verge, Google's privacy policy means that police and other law enforcement agencies can access data from its products, including Nest.
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Similar to Amazon, Google requires police to submit a warrant or court order in most cases, but will make exceptions if there is an 'emergency' request for data.
Google's information request policy says: "If we reasonably believe that we can prevent someone from dying or from suffering serious physical harm, we may provide information to a government agency — for example, in the case of bomb threats, school shootings, kidnappings, suicide prevention, and missing persons cases.
"We still consider these requests in light of applicable laws and our policies."
A Nest spokesperson told CNET that the company attempts to give users notice when it hands over data in this way, but in emergency cases, it will not notify them until "the emergency has passed".
Google has been approached for comment.
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Earlier this month, it was revealed that Amazon hands over video and audio recordings from its 'Ring' smart doorbells to police almost 'immediately' upon request.
In a letter to the US Senate, Amazon's VP of public policy, Brian Huseman, said: "Ring reserves the right to respond immediately to urgent law enforcement requests for information in cases involving imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to any person."
He admitted that Amazon had provided videos to police following an emergency request 11 times, saying it was based on a "good faith" judgement that there was imminent danger of death or injury.
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