Google has announced that it will be settling a class action suit for $68 million in response to allegations that its voice-activated assistant, Google Assistant, was recording users’ private conversations without consent and using the data to target advertisements to users.
The preliminary terms of the proposed settlement were detailed in a document filed on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose, CA. The settlement now awaits the approval of U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman.
Claims of the Class Action Lawsuit
The class action lawsuit was initiated by users of smartphones and smart devices claiming that their Google Assistant was accidentally activated, referred to as a “false accept” and that Google mistakenly heard the users’ private conversations, activating a voice command (like “Hey Google” or “Okay Google”) and ultimately recording and saving the users’ private conversations. The lawsuit alleges that the recording and saving of private conversations in this manner constitutes illegal surveillance and violates both state and federal privacy laws.
The way Google Assistant operates is similar to Apple’s Siri. Users speak a command for the assistant (Google Assistant) to perform a task or search the web for them or control their smart devices.
Google denies wrongdoing. It is a subsidiary of Alphabet, but it denied wrongdoing in its case. However, it had to settle in order to avoid the risk, costs of litigation and uncertainty of continuing the litigation, according to court documents.
Google did not provide a public comment about the settlement.
An example of a company with a similar situation, also with Siri, was Apple, who reached a $95 million settlement in December of 2024.
Who qualifies for the settlement?
People who purchased devices from Google between May 18, 2016 and the present date, or received “false accepts” from Google Assistant are qualified for the settlement.
This includes:
1. Pixel phones
2. Google Home devices
3. Nest Hub/Nest Hub Max displays
4. Other devices that have Google Assistant on them at the time of purchase.
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Possible value of settlement
If approved, amounts received by users will depend on how they interacted with the Google Assistant:
For users who bought Google Assistant-compatible devices, they will get between $18 and $56.
For those who lived with or frequently used a Google Assistant device that recorded conversations without their consent, they will receive between $2 and $10.
Attorneys representing the class may request up to one-third of the settlement fund to cover attorneys’ fees, which could total $22.7 million.
Significance of the case
This settlement adds to the ongoing scrutiny of voice assistant devices and the privacy implications surrounding these products, especially as more consumers use smart home devices with these capabilities. While Google asserts that it has done nothing wrong, the settlement reflects the legal and reputational liabilities tech companies face regarding the collection, retention, and use of voice data.
Consumers are still concerned about the ability of always-on devices to protect their privacy in the digital world.
FOR MORE: https://civiclens.in/category/https-civiclens-in-technology/
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