Google to Pay $68 Million to Settle Google Assistant Privacy Lawsuit
GeokHub
Jan 26 (GeokHub) — Google has agreed to pay $68 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing its voice-activated Google Assistant of improperly recording private conversations, violating the privacy of smartphone users.
A preliminary settlement was filed late Friday in U.S. federal court in San Jose, California, and now awaits approval from District Judge Beth Labson Freeman.
The lawsuit alleged that Google Assistant — developed by Alphabet’s Google unit — unlawfully recorded users’ conversations when it was unintentionally activated, a phenomenon known as “false accepts.” Plaintiffs claimed the recordings were later used to help deliver targeted advertising.
Claims Center on Accidental Activations
Google Assistant is designed to activate only after hearing specific “hot words” such as “Hey Google” or “Okay Google.” However, users said the system frequently misinterpreted background speech as trigger phrases, leading to recordings without consent.
Several plaintiffs said they noticed advertisements tied to conversations they believed were private, prompting accusations that Google collected and shared audio data improperly.
Settlement Without Admission of Wrongdoing
Google denied any wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement to avoid the cost and uncertainty of prolonged litigation, according to court documents. The company declined to comment publicly on Monday.
The settlement applies to individuals who purchased Google devices or experienced unintended Google Assistant activations from May 18, 2016 onward, court filings show.
Legal Fees and Industry Context
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs may seek up to one-third of the settlement fund, or roughly $22.7 million, to cover legal fees.
The agreement mirrors growing scrutiny across the tech industry over voice-activated assistants and data privacy. In December 2024, Apple reached a similar $95 million settlement over claims involving its Siri voice assistant.
