That being the case, it means that Nest, and by extension Alexa and a host of other similar products, violate Maryland’s 2 party consent statutes, as well as other similar laws in a number of other states:

Google’s Nest smart devices are always listening — their microphones detect loud noises and cameras track sudden movements in a home, and can start automatically recording at any time.

Because of that, Nest owners should probably warn their house guests that they’re on camera, according to Google devices chief Rick Osterloh.

………

Nest devices are fitted with an LED light that turns on whenever they’re in recording mode. These recordings can’t be overridden in the moment, but users can reconfigure their Nest settings to disable all recordings (or simply unplug the devices). A Google spokesperson was not immediately available to respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.

What a surprise.  Yet another Silicon Valley product that is actually illegal.