$68M Google Assistant privacy class action settlement
$68M Google Assistant privacy class action settlement
Publish Date: 2026-06-09 13:04:00
Source Domain: topclassactions.com
Google LLC and its parent company Alphabet Inc. have agreed to a $68 million class action settlement to resolve claims that Google Assistant recorded user communications without intentional activation, in violation of users’ privacy rights and Google’s own privacy policies.
The Google Assistant settlement benefits individuals who, between May 18, 2016, and March 19, 2026, either purchased a Google-made device in the United States or its territories, or whose communications were recorded or obtained by Google Assistant as a result of a false activation — known as a “False Accept” — or were disclosed to a third-party review vendor.
According to one consolidated class action lawsuit, Google Assistant can activate and record audio even when a user has not intentionally triggered it with a hot word, such as “OK, Google” or “Hey, Google.” Plaintiffs allege that Google wrongfully collected, used and shared these recordings, including to improve its speech recognition technology, constituting a breach of users’ privacy rights and Google’s stated privacy policies.
Google, as a multinational technology company, offers a wide range of consumer products and services, including smart home speakers, smart displays and Pixel smartphones, all of which can run Google Assistant.
Google has not admitted any wrongdoing but has agreed to pay $68 million into a settlement fund to resolve the privacy class action lawsuit.
Under the terms of the Google Assistant class action settlement, eligible class members can receive a cash payment. The exact payment amount per claimant will depend on the total number of valid claims filed and the points allocated per claim, with device purchasers receiving up to four points per eligible device and privacy class members receiving one point.
According to class counsel at the time of the settlement, device purchasers could receive approximately $18 to $56 per device, while “privacy-only” class members, or those…
