Google will settle its Assistant spying lawsuit for $68 million

Google might owe you money now that it’s preparing to settle a class-action lawsuit over how it handled recordings captured when its devices were activated by something other than the Google Assistant trigger word, “Ok Google.” German point of sale VRT NWSThe 2019 report exposed the problem, and court documents filed last Friday indicate the proposed settlement amount is $68 million, as previously reported Reuters.

The lawsuit accuses Google of “unlawfully and intentionally recording confidential communications of individuals without their consent” during these “false opt-ins.” VRT NWS reported that human workers who analyzed Assistant audio clips recalled hearing personal information and private conversations in cases where Google Assistant was triggered inadvertently or by someone who wasn’t supposed to use it, such as children.

The plaintiffs’ accusations also included a claim that “information gleaned from these recordings was wrongly transmitted to third parties for targeted advertising and other purposes,” which Google denied, and in the proposed settlement it denies any allegations of wrongdoing.

If the settlement is approved, it will be paid to people whose Google accounts were associated with at least one device with Google Assistant pre-installed as early as 2016, including Pixel phones, Google Home devices, Google smart speakers and displays, Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max. Customers who purchased one of these devices will be eligible for a recovery payment ranging from $18 to $56. Anyone who has used Google Assistant or lives in a household with an Assistant device that illegally recorded their conversations will also be eligible for a payment of $2 to $10.