Google to Pay $68 Million to Settle Google Assistant Privacy Claims

Google has agreed to pay $68 million to resolve a class action lawsuit accusing the company of violating user privacy through its Google Assistant feature.

Smartphone users alleged that the voice assistant recorded and shared private conversations after being activated without consent, including instances where it was triggered by “false accepts” of hot words like “Hey Google,” leading to targeted advertising.

The proposed settlement was filed in a federal court in San Jose, California, and will require court approval. Google denied any wrongdoing but chose to settle to avoid the risks and costs of continued litigation.

The settlement covers users affected since May 18, 2016, and plaintiffs’ lawyers may seek a portion of the settlement amount as legal fees.