Google to pay $68 million to settle Google Assistant privacy lawsuit

New Delhi: Google agreed to pay $68 million to settle a lawsuit claiming that its voice-activated assistant spied inappropriately on smartphone users, violating their privacy, according to Reuters.

A preliminary class action settlement was filed late Friday night in the San Jose, California federal court and requires approval by US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman.

Smartphone users alleged that Google, a unit of Alphabet (GOOGL.O), recorded and disseminated private conversations after Google Assistant was triggered, using the information to target users.

Google Assistant is designed to respond to “hot words” such as “Hey Google” or “Okay Google,” similar to Apple’s (AAPL.O) Siri. Users objected to receiving content after the assistant misinterpreted their words, a phenomenon known as “false accepts.” Apple reached a comparable $95 million settlement with smartphone users in December 2024.

Google denied any wrongdoing but settled to avoid the risk, cost, and uncertainty of litigation, according to court documents. Lawyers for plaintiffs may seek up to one-third of the settlement fund, approximately $22.7 million, for legal fees.

The settlement covers individuals who purchased Google devices or were affected by false accepts since May 18, 2016, court papers show.