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Google will pay $68 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging its voice-activated assistant secretly recorded private conversations to fuel targeted advertising.
Filed in a California federal court on Friday, the settlement addresses claims that Google Assistant frequently triggered without its “Hey Google” command, capturing sensitive discussions intended to remain private.
The legal challenge centered on “false acceptance,” where the software mistakenly identifies background noise or ordinary speech as a wake word. Plaintiffs argued that these accidental recordings were sent to Google’s servers, analyzed and shared with third-party advertisers.
While Google denied any wrongdoing and maintained it settled only to avoid protracted litigation, the deal marks a significant victory for privacy advocates.
Millions of Android and Google device owners may be eligible for a payout if they owned a Google-made device dating back to May 2016. The eligible devices include the Pixel smartphone series, Nest speakers, and Google Home units.
The settlement must still receive final approval from US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman before the funds can be distributed among the claimants.
This case mirrors a similar settlement reached by Apple, which recently agreed to pay $95 million over claims that its Siri assistant also recorded users without authorization.
As tech giants continue to integrate “always-on” microphones into household products, these legal outcomes are forcing a re-evaluation of how virtual assistants handle ambient audio and user consent.
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