Google to pay US$68m in settlement over claims Assistant recorded private conversations

A preliminary settlement was filed on 26 January in a federal court in San Jose, California, stating that Google would pay US$68 million to resolve claims that its voice-activated Google Assistant violated users’ privacy rights.

The lawsuit, brought as a class action, alleged that the Assistant was triggered inadvertently, recording and sharing private conversations with third parties to generate targeted advertising.

According to court documents, Google – a subsidiary of Alphabet – denied any wrongdoing but agreed to settle the case to avoid the cost, risk and uncertainty of prolonged litigation.

The settlement, which still requires approval by US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman, could distribute funds to affected users dating back to 18 May, 2016. These include individuals who either purchased a Google device or experienced the so-called “false accepts” from the Google Assistant.

Google Assistant is designed to remain in standby mode until users say activation phrases such as “Hey Google” or “OK Google”. Once triggered, the Assistant records audio and sends it to Google’s servers for processing.

However, users claimed that the software often misinterpreted regular speech as an activation command. These unintentional triggers allegedly led to private conversations being recorded without users’ consent.

The lawsuit further alleged that these audio recordings were subsequently shared with advertisers, enabling Google to target users with tailored advertisements based on the unintended recordings.

Google, headquartered in Mountain View, California, has not commented publicly since the settlement was filed. In the court filing, the company denied the allegations and maintained that the Assistant does not send audio data while in standby mode.

Under the proposed terms, lawyers representing the plaintiffs may seek up to one-third of the total settlement amount, which could amount to approximately US$22.7 million in legal fees.

The case echoes broader privacy concerns surrounding voice-activated technology. In January, Apple agreed to pay US$95 million to resolve similar allegations concerning its Siri assistant. That case involved claims that Apple’s devices also recorded users without consent, though the company denied wrongdoing.

Both cases underscore growing scrutiny of major technology companies and their handling of sensitive audio data collected from personal devices.

Voice assistants have become widely integrated into smartphones, speakers and smart home systems, with billions of users globally. These systems rely on passive listening technology, which critics say poses an inherent risk of misuse or accidental activation.