Google has admitted that workers are given access to voice recordings made by owners of its Google Home smart speaker.

The technology company pays "language experts" around the world to listen to and transcribe audio recordings made by users.

It says listening is “critical to developing technology that powers products like the Google Assistant”, the software that powers the Google Home speaker and features on Android smartphones.

Temporary workers, supplied by contractors, are sent audio recordings to transcribe so that Google can improve its services for people who speak in different accents and languages. Around one in 5,000 recordings are sent to a language expert, it said.

Google claimed that customers were aware of the practice and pointed the Telegraph to its privacy policy, which states: “We also ask for your consent to collect your voice and audio activity for speech recognition” but does not mention humans might have access.

It came to light after a worker who received “a few cents” for every recording he transcribed shared the audio with the Dutch publication VRT NWS.

Among the usual commands, the employee said he was occasionally given minute-long audio where he felt those being recorded could not know they were being listened to. This included a clip which he feared included “physical violence" between people in their home. He reviewed recordings of men searching for pornography and a mother scolding a child.