Google has agreed to pay $68 million (£51 million) to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that it secretly recorded private conversations through its Google Assistant feature on Android devices.
The lawsuit accused Google Assistant, a voice-activated virtual assistant available on many Android phones and smart devices, of inadvertently recording users’ private conversations without consent. According to the claimants, these recordings were later shared with advertisers to enable targeted advertising.
In court filings seeking approval of the settlement, Google denied any wrongdoing and said the agreement was intended to avoid prolonged litigation.
Google Assistant is designed to remain in standby mode until it hears a specific activation phrase, typically “Hey Google.” Once activated, the device records audio and sends it to Google’s servers for processing. Users commonly rely on the assistant for tasks such as checking the weather, searching the web, or controlling smart home devices like lights and televisions.
Google has consistently maintained that no audio is recorded or transmitted while the assistant is in standby mode. However, the lawsuit alleged that the system sometimes activated accidentally, mistakenly interpreting background speech as its wake phrase, and proceeded to record conversations users believed were private.
The plaintiffs further claimed that these recordings were improperly shared with advertisers to create targeted marketing profiles, an allegation Google has denied.
The proposed settlement was filed on Friday in a California federal court and still requires approval from US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman. As a class action lawsuit, the settlement means the $68 million will be distributed among eligible claimants rather than awarded to a single individual.
Those eligible for compensation include people who owned Google devices with Google Assistant dating back to May 2016. However, lawyers representing the plaintiffs may seek up to one-third of the settlement, approximately $22 million, in legal fees.
The case follows a similar settlement earlier this year involving Apple. In January, Apple agreed to pay $95 million to resolve claims that its Siri voice assistant recorded users without permission.
However, Apple denied wrongdoing and rejected allegations that it improperly recorded, shared, or failed to delete voice recordings.
The settlement highlights growing scrutiny over digital privacy and the use of voice-activated technology by major tech firms.