Google has agreed to pay $68 million to resolve a class action lawsuit accusing its voice assistant of unlawfully recording users’ private conversations. The case centers on allegations that Google collected audio without proper consent through unintended activations of Google Assistant.
According to court filings, users claimed the assistant sometimes activated due to “false accepts.” In these cases, ordinary speech was mistakenly interpreted as trigger phrases like “Hey Google” or “OK Google,” leading to recordings being captured and shared with third parties, including contractors.
Key Details of the Settlement
- Filed in federal court in San Jose
- Covers U.S. Google Assistant users dating back to May 18, 2016
- Requires approval from U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman
- Google denies wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid prolonged litigation
- Plaintiffs’ attorneys may seek up to one third of the settlement for legal fees
The case is separate from other voice assistant privacy lawsuits but reflects growing scrutiny around always on technologies and user consent. While the settlement resolves past claims, it does not require Google to admit liability.
Google has expanded from a simple search engine into a company embedded in everyday digital life, placing data collection and user consent at the center of its global impact. Voice assistants reflect this shift, as Google designed them to function as ambient, always available technologies that rely heavily on user data. This broader Google’s evolution helps explain why privacy concerns linked to unintended recordings continue to attract legal and regulatory scrutiny.
Google has previously stated that users can control their data by reviewing, deleting or managing voice recordings directly through their account settings, reinforcing its position on user choice and transparency
