Google has agreed to pay $68 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company illegally recorded user conversations through its Google Assistant voice service without proper consent.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing court documents referenced by The Verge, that the settlement aims to resolve long-standing privacy concerns regarding the tech giant's audio data collection practices.
The legal dispute originated from a 2019 investigation by the Belgian publication VRT NWS. Journalists discovered that third-party contractors tasked with transcribing audio files had access to recordings triggered by the "Ok, Google" command, even when it was activated accidentally. These recordings reportedly included private conversations involving children and individuals who had not consented to being recorded. Plaintiffs alleged that Google intentionally collected this data and shared it with third parties for advertising purposes.
While Google denied the allegations, maintaining that voice recordings are not used for ad targeting, the company opted for a settlement. If officially approved, individuals who have used the following devices since 2016 may be eligible for compensation:
- Pixel smartphones;
- Google Home smart speakers;
- Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max displays.
According to the reports, device owners could receive payments ranging from $18 to $56, while individuals who do not own the devices but whose voices were recorded may receive between $2 and $10. This case highlights the increasing global scrutiny over big tech's data privacy standards and the handling of biometric information. In recent years, several major technology firms have faced similar litigation in the United States and Europe, leading to stricter regulations regarding how artificial intelligence and voice-activated assistants process personal user data.
