Google has agreed to pay $68 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accused the company of violating user privacy by improperly recording private conversations through its voice-activated Google Assistant on smartphones.
The preliminary settlement was filed late Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose and is subject to approval by Judge Beth Labson Freeman. The case targets Google, a unit of Alphabet, over claims that its digital assistant recorded conversations without proper consent and used the data for targeted advertising, Reuters news report said.
Allegations of Unauthorized Audio Recording
The lawsuit was brought by smartphone users who alleged that Google Assistant was triggered unintentionally and recorded private conversations without users knowingly activating the feature. Google Assistant is designed to respond only to specific wake phrases such as “Hey Google” or “Okay Google.” However, plaintiffs argued that the system frequently misinterpreted ordinary speech as activation commands, a phenomenon known as “false accepts.”
According to the complaint, these unintended activations led to the recording, storage, and dissemination of private audio data, which was later used to serve targeted advertisements. Plaintiffs claimed this practice violated state and federal privacy laws, including California’s strict consumer protection statutes.
Scope of the Settlement
The proposed settlement applies to individuals in the United States who purchased Google devices or were subjected to Google Assistant false accepts from May 18, 2016 onward. This timeframe aligns with the widespread rollout of Google Assistant across Android smartphones and other connected devices.
While Google denied any wrongdoing, court filings indicate the company chose to settle in order to avoid the expense, uncertainty, and prolonged risk associated with continued litigation. Google declined to comment publicly following the filing.
Under the agreement, affected users may be eligible to receive compensation, though the exact payout per individual will depend on the number of valid claims submitted once the settlement receives court approval.
Legal Fees and Distribution of Funds
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs are expected to seek up to one-third of the settlement fund for legal fees and expenses, amounting to approximately $22.7 million. The remaining funds would be distributed among class members after administrative costs are deducted.
Growing Scrutiny of Voice Assistant Privacy
The Google settlement follows a broader trend of increased regulatory and legal scrutiny of voice-activated technologies. Digital assistants rely on continuous listening capabilities to detect wake words, a design choice that has raised ongoing concerns among privacy advocates.
Apple faced similar allegations related to its Siri voice assistant and agreed in December 2024 to a $95 million settlement with smartphone users. In that case, plaintiffs also accused the company of recording conversations without explicit consent and sharing the data with third-party contractors.
Apple agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit over allegations that its voice assistant Siri mistakenly recorded and used private conversations without proper user consent. The lawsuit, originally filed in 2021, claimed that Siri was activated unintentionally and that these recordings were shared with third parties and used for targeted advertising, violating users’ privacy rights. Apple denied any wrongdoing but chose to settle to avoid ongoing litigation.
The settlement covers U.S. residents who owned Siri-enabled Apple devices — such as iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, HomePods, Macs, or Apple TVs — between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024 and experienced unintended Siri activations during private conversations.
Previous media reports said eligible users could file claims by July 2, 2025 and receive up to $20 per device (up to five devices — a potential $100 per claimant), though actual payouts were reported to be lower based on the number of valid claims.
Apple also reaffirmed its privacy commitments following the settlement, emphasizing that Siri data has never been used to build marketing profiles or sold to advertisers, and that the company uses on-device processing and strict safeguards to protect user information.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
