Google Pays $68M for Assistant Privacy Recording Lawsuit

Google has agreed to pay $68 million to settle a class action lawsuit about privacy violations. The lawsuit claims Google Assistant recorded people’s conversations without proper permission.

The settlement covers consumers who purchased Google-made devices or had their communications recorded by Google Assistant. This includes devices like Google Home speakers, Nest products, and Android phones with Google Assistant.

Google Assistant is the voice-controlled feature that responds when people say “Hey Google” or “OK Google.” The lawsuit alleges the system sometimes recorded conversations even when users did not activate it with these wake words.

People who qualify for the settlement may receive money from the $68 million fund. The exact payment amount for each person depends on how many valid claims are filed. Typically, settlements like this pay between $25 to $200 per person, though the final amount could be different.

To be eligible, consumers must show they owned a Google device with Assistant or had their conversations recorded by the service during the class period.

Class members need to file their claims by a specific deadline to receive payment. Missing this deadline means losing the right to receive settlement money.

The settlement also requires Google to make changes to how Google Assistant works. The company must be clearer about when the device is listening and recording. Google will also improve user controls for privacy settings.

Google denies any wrongdoing in this case. The company says it decided to settle to avoid the costs and uncertainty of a long trial. Google maintains that its privacy practices follow the law.

People who want to file a claim should visit the official settlement website.  The site will have claim forms and detailed instructions for submitting required information.

This settlement is part of growing legal action against tech companies over privacy issues. Many companies now face lawsuits about how they collect and use personal data from their devices and services.