Alphabet Inc's Google on Tuesday announced new privacy controls for its services, including "Incognito mode" for Google Maps, and published new privacy commitments for its hardware, showing how increased public scrutiny is forcing greater transparency in the Silicon Valley.
The announcements were dotted throughout nearly two hours of product updates from the search giant at its annual Google I/O developers' conference. Google also launched its lowest priced smartphone yet, the Pixel 3a, and demonstrated upcoming capabilities for its virtual assistant, such as car rental and movie ticket bookings by voice commands.
Google has been fending off some of the growing legislative and regulatory pushes in the United States and elsewhere to regulate data privacy and other issues core to its business model. Proposals being weighed by lawmakers would limit how Google, Facebook Inc and other internet companies track consumers and distribute information.
With revenue growth slowing and costs largely growing, Alphabet has faced questions from investors about the threat of new rules and its ability to commercialise newer services such as the Google Assistant.
Alphabet shares closed Tuesday down 1.2 percent to $1,178.86. They have fallen from an all-time high of $1,296.98 since the company reported quarterly sales last month that were $1 billion below expectations.
Incognito mode, which is launching on Google Maps "soon" and Google search later this year, would block the company from storing user activity in those services, the company said.
For home-based devices including smart speakers, thermostats and security alarms, Google on Tuesday published a new website with disclosures on how sensors such as microphones and cameras on those devices work.
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