Google Agrees to $68 Million Settlement in Voice Assistant Lawsuit

Google Reaches Preliminary Settlement in San Jose Federal Court

Google has agreed to pay $68 million to settle a class-action lawsuit concerning its voice assistant technology. The preliminary settlement was filed on January 23 in federal court in San Jose, California, and requires approval by U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman.

The lawsuit was brought by several Google device owners. These plaintiffs alleged that Google's voice assistant had illegally recorded users and then shared private conversations with advertisers. According to the claims, the recordings occurred without the users' knowledge.

Allegations About Voice Recordings and User Conversations

The plaintiffs asserted that Google had represented that its voice assistant would only begin registering speech when users spoke an activation phrase such as "Hey Google." However, the consumers involved in the lawsuit claimed that their devices recorded them even when they did not use such activation language.

Some claimants alleged that their Google devices captured private conversations involving financial issues, personal decisions, and employment matters. The lawsuit focused on the recording of these conversations and the subsequent sharing of those private discussions with advertisers.

Settlement Structure and Potential Consumer Payments

If Judge Beth Labson Freeman approves the settlement, Google will place $68 million into a fund. This fund will be used to pay consumer claims, court-approved attorneys' fees, and other associated costs. Under the terms described in the settlement, consumers will be able to submit claims for up to three Google devices.

The amount that individual consumers receive from the settlement fund will depend on the total number of claims submitted. The settlement documents specify that the fund will cover all eligible consumer claims as well as legal fees and related expenditures.

Related Class-Action Settlement Involving Apple's Siri

The agreement has been described in the settlement as similar to a separate class-action case involving Apple's Siri voice assistant. That lawsuit alleged that Siri had eavesdropped on private or confidential conversations. Apple device owners are receiving payments this month from a $95 million settlement in that case, with amounts ranging from about $8 to $40 per person.

The Google settlement will remain preliminary until the federal court in San Jose reviews and rules on its approval.