Google will now work only with devices that have new security and safety standards.
Certified products will have to pass a security certification once a year, not just one time.
Devices intended to control appliances, including regular smart plugs, will have to have UL or equivalent safety certifications.
From Stacey on IOT:
Google also reiterated its policies around security, and noted that itās added a feature I really like: If you want your product to work with Google and integrate with the broader Google Home ecosystem, it will need to pass an annual security check with the company first.
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And in the meantime, if itās a device that controls an appliance or something that could cause damage, that device now needs to be UL-approved or have a similar safety certification. This means your knockoff smart outlets might not work with Google going forward. While thatās a bummer for those of us who like buying cheap gear on Amazon, from a fire safety perspective itās probably a good thing.
At the same time, remember when Apple allowed developers to self certify their HomeKit devices intended for their own use, although you did get a pop-up warning that itās not Apple certified?
Google is finally introducing a similar program for DIY āworks with nestā integrations. Itās called ādevice accessā meaning Google once again has introduced a product/feature with a name which is almost impossible to google. sigh.
From the link above:
There are 15,000 hobbyists building Nest integrations, and through this console, they can do so in a private sandbox for their own homes without needing to pass through those annual security checks.
Otherwise it is really interesting. Does it mean that each Matter device will have to pass a certification every year? And what about FCC certifications? Those will have to be renewed every year as well, just to prove radiation levels?
And any of these certifications will be done for a new device or a 1 or 2 or 3 years old physical device?
It means there will be a security review of any device that works with google, itās not specific to Matter one way or the other.
Apple already does this with HomeKit devices, but they do it whenever thereās a change.
BTW, Meross devices already meet similar safety and security standards and remain very inexpensive, so I think thereās hope for other lines.
FCC certifications do not have to be renewed every year. Nor, for that matter, do the fire safety certifications that Google is looking for. Those are about the physical device.
The security check is looking at software issues mostly, and those can change after a device is installed.
